Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Thursday assessed preparations for the upcoming Kanwar Yatra in Haridwar, instructing officials to prevent any recurrence of “spit jihad” incidents during the annual pilgrimage. He stressed efforts were underway to guarantee that Kanwariyas visiting Haridwar have a positive experience.
“Incidents of ‘spit jihad’ have happened during the Kanwar Yatra earlier. I have asked officials to ensure they are not repeated,” Dhami told reporters after meeting senior officials, PTI reported.
The term “spit jihad” refers to viral videos from past years showing food vendors spitting into food items like dough or fruit before serving or selling them.
Eateries In Uttarakhand Ordered to Display Food Licences Prominently
The Uttarakhand government has directed all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to clearly display their food licences or registration certificates. Health Secretary and Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration R Rajesh Kumar said owners of dhabas, hotels, food carts and stalls must ensure a clean copy of their licence or registration certificate is visible to consumers.
Kumar emphasised that “Food Safety Display Boards” must also be installed at easily noticeable spots in eateries, and warned that violators could face penalties under Section 55 of the Food Safety Act 2006, which permits fines up to ₹2 lakh. “There will be no compromise with the quality of food served to devotees at pandals and community kitchens,” he asserted, adding that special teams of food safety officers have been deployed across Haridwar, Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Uttarkashi districts to collect food samples for testing, as per PTI.
Row In UP Over Identity Checks Along Kanwar Route
Dhami's remarks come while a controversy erupted after a video circulated online showing individuals allegedly harassing the staff of a dhaba on the Kanwar route. According to police, the six people involved are associated with Swami Yashveer Maharaj of Yoga Sadhana Yashveer Ashram in Baghra, which has previously conducted ghar wapsi (conversion to Hinduism) ceremonies for Muslim families.
The incident has reignited the debate on religious profiling, recalling last year’s Supreme Court stay on directives issued by BJP-led governments in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand mandating food outlets on the Kanwar route to display owner and staff names.
Former Samajwadi Party MP S T Hasan strongly criticised the recent actions, calling them “a form of terrorism” and adding, “It seems the state government is silently supporting these acts. In a secular country like India, this kind of behaviour is shameful. It should be stopped,” according to PTI.
BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi responded sharply, saying, “As far as Hasan’s statement is concerned, I would like to ask him why he wants to stand with those who hide their names. They should remove their anti-Modi lenses and then they will see the real picture of the country.
The Kanwar Yatra is set to begin on July 11 this year. During this annual pilgrimage, devotees of Lord Shiva collect holy Ganga water in Haridwar during the Hindu month of Shravan and offer it to Shiva temples upon returning home.