Kanwar Yatra Controversy: Uproar Intensifies in UP as Government Mandates Name Display on Shops

A controversy has erupted in Uttar Pradesh over the Kanwar Yatra. Initially, the state government ordered all hotels, dhabas, and eateries along the 240-kilometer Kanwar Yatra route in Muzaffarnagar district to display the names of their owners or employees. On Friday, July 19, the government extended this mandate to all shopkeepers along the Kanwar routes across the state. The BJP government's decision has faced criticism from opposition leaders who describe it as divisive. Moreover, even BJP allies have started to criticize the decision. A senior BJP leader has advised the party against such measures. Leaders from Nitish Kumar's JD(U), Jayant Chaudhary's RLD, and Chirag Paswan's LJP (R) have condemned the decision. Here's what each ally has to say about the issue.