SC orders stay on UP govt directive of writing owner names on the shops

SC asks to display food category (Veg or Non-veg) instead

Supreme Court of India stayed directive to display names on restaurants and carts on Kanwar Yatra marg. (Credit – OpIndia)

New Delhi – The Supreme Court heard a plea challenging the UP State Government’s directive for shop owners along the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh, to write their names on the shop. The Supreme Court gave an interim order in this case as, ‘The shopkeepers along Kanwar Yatra route are not required to reveal their identity. Shopkeepers need to declare only the type of food. Shopkeepers must write if they serve vegetarian or non-vegetarian food.’ The next hearing in this case will be held on July 26. The UP State Government’s order has been challenged by the ‘Association for Protection of Civil Rights’, an NGO, through a petition.

During the hearing, Justice Bhatti said, “I have had a similar experience. There was a vegetarian hotel in Kerala, one owned by a Hindu, another by a Muslims. I used to eat at the Muslim vegetarian hotel; because its owner had come from Dubai. He followed international standards in terms of cleanliness.”

Petitioner C.U. Singh said the State Administration is pressurising the shopkeepers to mention their names and mobile numbers. No law empowers the Police to do so. The Police have the authority to verify what kind of food is being served. Employees or owners cannot be made to write their name on the shops.

The Court responded saying ‘Writing the name of the employees and the owner is optional and not mandatory.’

In an interim order, the Supreme Court has stayed the orders passed by the States of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh regarding the shop owner’s names. The Court has issued notices to these three State Governments and sought their reply.

Editorial Perspective

If an unsavoury item e.g. spit, is added to the vegetarian food, how one is supposed to identify that ?