UP police order sparks outrage, fears of Muslim bias
New Delhi: A controversial order by Muzaffarnagar police in Uttar Pradesh has ignited outrage among Indian opposition parties, who see it as a communally motivated move aimed at Muslim traders.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the police directive, recently issued, mandates eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display owners’ names prominently, citing “confusion” among yatris as the reason. However, Opposition leaders have slammed the move, saying it may lead to an economic boycott of Muslims and Dalits.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera slammed the order as “state-sponsored bigotry”, while AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi compared it to apartheid in South Africa and the boycott of Jewish businesses in Nazi Germany.
The Congress leader also warned against the government’s interference in people’s food choices and said that this has gone a step ahead, as people of a certain faith are now being directed not to buy products from people of another faith.
Owaisi, in a post, also said, “As per the Uttar Pradesh Police order, now every food shop or cart owner will have to put his name on the board so that no [yatri] buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake.”
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav termed the order a social crime and urged the courts to take suo motu cognizance.
The issue has been taken up by human rights bodies, with Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Saket Gokhale filing a case with the National Human Rights Commission against the Muzaffarnagar police.
This incident highlights the growing concerns over communal polarization in India, where minority communities especially Muslims and Dalits face discrimination and marginalization. The government’s interference in people’s food choices and promotion of religious segregation have raised alarm bells among citizens and opposition parties alike. KMS-8R
