New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the directions issued by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route should display the names of the owners outside such shops.
The bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti passed the interim order while issuing notice on a batch of petitions challenging the Government directives.
However, the bench clarified that the eateries should display the type of food being served.
During the Kanwar Yatra season, a Hindu pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva (known as Kanwariyas) travel on foot to fetch holy water from the Ganges River, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand implemented a directive for shop owners and hawkers, requiring them to display their names outside their premises in Hindi.
The order came on a petition filed by the Association for Protection of Civil Rights, represented by senior advocate CU Singh, and two other petitions filed by TMC MP Mahua Moitra, represented by senior advocate AM Singhvi, and academic Apoorvanand Jha and columnist Aakar Patel.
The petitioners argued that the directives impact the secular character of the nation, breaches the ideals and values enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution and violate fundamental rights of equality, caste non-discrimination and dignity of life.