Opposition, NDA ally JD(U) hail Supreme Court stay on UP, Uttarakhand Kanwar orders.

The Supreme Court said state police cannot force shopkeepers to display their names and they can only be asked to display food items. The opposition parties on Monday hailed the Supreme Court interim stay on the directives by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments asking eateries along Kanwar yatra routes to display owner names. Bharatiya Janata Party’s ally Janata Dal (United) also welcomed the order.  “I welcome this decision of the Supreme Court. It was our apprehension that this rule will divide the society. The Supreme Court took this matter in its cognizance. I am thankful for this,” JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi told ANI.  JD(U), a crucial ally in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has been vocal against the order issued by the UP and Uttarakhand governments. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan and Rashtriya Lok Dal president Jayant Chaudhary, also part of the NDA, had objected to the order.  Several opposition parties including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party welcomed the apex court order.  “We welcome the stay given by the Supreme Court…This was unconstitutional and the Congress party along with the entire opposition opposed it…We hope that the Prime Minister makes his Chief Ministers aware of their ‘raj dharma’ and stops them from indulging in these unconstitutional measures,” Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told ANI. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav also hailed the Supreme Court directive, saying,”I had said that the Supreme Court should take cognizance of this matter and stop such action. The government will take many such steps because when communal politics ends, these people will do like this.” “I welcome this verdict…The Supreme Court has done the work of saving the Constitution. This kind of dirty politics is done by the ruling BJP,” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant said. A top court bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti said,”Until the returnable date, having regard to the discussion, we deem it appropriate to pass an interim order prohibiting the enforcement of the above directives. In other words, the food sellers… hawkers, etc. may be required to display the kind of food they are serving to Kanwariyas but they must not be forced to disclose the names.” Last week, the Uttar Pradesh government asked the food and beverage shops along Kanwar Yatra routes to display the name and identity of the operator/owner of their establishments.