Kanwar yatra name display row: No such order issued, Madhya Pradesh clarifies

File picture of devotees carrying holy water along a road during the annual Kanwar Yatra in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
| Photo Credit: ANI

Amid the ongoing controversy over the mandatory display of owners’ names on shops along the Kanwar Yatra route in various States, the Madhya Pradesh government has clarified that it has not issued any order in this regard in the State. 

The clarification was issued on Sunday evening by the Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD), which said that no such instructions had been issued with reference to displaying the names of shop owners on the pilgrim route. The department also asked all municipal bodies of the State to avoid spreading confusion on the issue.

“The government had issued a clarification notice about this issue on Sunday evening that we have not given any such direction,” a senior government official told The Hindu on Monday. 

On Monday, the Supreme Court also prohibited the enforcement of such recent orders by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments, which had made it mandatory for eateries and sellers of food items on the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names and other identity details of their owners and employees. 

The Supreme Court also issued notice to States through which the yatra traverses, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh.

The UDHD took cognisance of various media reports that claimed some municipal corporations were making the practice mandatory in their areas, and said that there is no such obligation for business owners. 

Instead, shop boards should comply with the Madhya Pradesh Outdoor Advertising Media Rules, 2017, which do not mandate the display of shop owners’ names. “The department has advised all urban bodies to avoid spreading confusion on this matter,” the UDHD statement read.

Various media reports, in the past two days, claimed that the Ujjain Municipal Corporation (UMC) had also made the practice mandatory for the shops in the city, known for the ancient Mahakaleshwar Temple. 

While UMC Commissioner Ashish Pathak had told The Hindu on Sunday that no such order had been issued, city Mayor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukesh Tatwal said the corporation had passed a proposal on it in September 2022, and that he had now asked officials to ensure shop owners displayed their names and contact numbers outside their shops. 

After the stay on the exercise, various political parties have welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision. The moves by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand BJP governments had drawn heavy criticism last week from political rivals, including the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP) as well as from some of the BJP’s allies, including the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) and Janata Dal-United (JD-U). 

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