Janhit: Muzzling Minority Shops? Identity Drive During Kanwar Yatra Triggers Outrage in Yatra Belt

A religious profiling campaign led by Swami Yashvir along the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh has triggered major controversy and concern. Since June 28, teams associated with Swami Yashvir have been inspecting shops, dhabas, and restaurants from Muzaffarnagar to Ghaziabad, demanding identification from owners and distributing images of Hindu deity Varaha to be displayed as a sign of Hindu ownership. Swami Yashvir, head of Yog Sadhana Ashram in Muzaffarnagar, and his team are allegedly using QR scanners to identify Muslim shopkeepers operating businesses with Hindu names. In one case near Haridwar, a Muslim man named Gulfaam was found running a tea stall in a space rented from a Hindu-owned sweet shop, sparking a confrontation that drew police attention. The campaign’s critics call it vigilante profiling disguised as religious activism. Swami Yashvir has a controversial history, including previous arrest under the National Security Act. Despite a 2024 Supreme Court ruling striking down mandatory name plates based on religion, the campaign continues with little interference from authorities. As Kanwar Yatra preparations intensify, concerns grow over rising communal tensions and the role of private individuals in enforcing religious identity.