‘Crime against Constitution’: Priyanka Gandhi on ‘divisive’ Kanwar Yatra order in UP

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came down heavily on the Uttar Pradesh administration for the “divisive” directive that demanded all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners, saying it's an attack on the Constitution. Priyanka Gandhi said that the directive goes against the constitutional dictate that no citizen shall be discriminated against based on caste, religion, language or place of birth.

In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said the order should be withdrawn immediately and strict action should be taken against the official who issued it.

Calling it a “crime” against Constitution, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Our Constitution guarantees every citizen that he will not be discriminated against on the basis of caste, religion, language or any other basis. The divisive order to put up name boards of the owners of carts, kiosks and shops in Uttar Pradesh is an attack on our Constitution, our democracy and our shared heritage.”

“Creating division in society on the basis of caste and religion is a crime against the Constitution. This order should be withdrawn immediately and strict action should be taken against the officials who issued it,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister's Office said that in a move aimed at maintaining the sanctity of the Kanwar Yatra, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has mandated that all food and beverage shops along the Kanwar routes in Uttar Pradesh must display nameplates with the name and identity of the owner or operator.

This decision is part of a broader initiative to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage, which begins on July 22, the CMO said.

The directive was earlier issued in Muzaffarnagar where police chief asked all eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, after which, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended the controversial order across the state.

District police chief Abhishek Singh said, “About 240 kilometres of Kanwar Yatra route falls in the district. All the eateries, including hotels, dhabas and carts, on the route have been asked to display the names of their proprietors or those working on these shops.”

"This has been done to ensure that there should be no confusion among kanwariyas and no law-and-order situation arises. All are following this voluntarily," Abhishek Singh told reporters.