Yoga guru and businessman Baba Ramdev on Sunday backed the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand government’s direction to shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names, saying everyone should be proud of their names.
He said if Ramdev doesn’t have a problem revealing his identity, why should ‘Rahman’ have issues with it?
“If Ramdev has no problem in revealing his identity, then why should Rahman have a problem in revealing his identity? Everyone should be proud of their name. There is no need to hide the name, only purity is required in work. If our work is pure, it does not matter if we are Hindu, Muslim or from any other community…” he said on Sunday morning.
Ujjain’s name order for shop owners
After the Uttarakhand and UP government’s move, the Ujjain municipal body has also ordered shopkeepers to display their names.
Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said on Saturday that violators will have to pay a ₹2,000 fine for the first offence and ₹5,000 if they defy this order.
“Ujjain is a religious and holy city. People come here with religious aastha (faith). They have the right to know about the shopkeeper whose services they are availing. If a customer is dissatisfied or cheated, knowing the shopkeeper’s details allows them to seek redress,” he said.
Opposition slams move
Several Opposition leaders have opposed the Kanwar order.
All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi said that it reflects the growing hatred towards Muslims in India.
“Fear on UP’s Kanwar routes: This is The reality of hatred for Indian Muslims, credit for this visceral hatred goes to political parties, leaders of Hindutva and so-called lip servicing Secular parties,” Owaisi said in a post on ‘X’.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat also hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government.
“The Uttar Pradesh government is destroying the Constitution of India by issuing such orders…A whole community is being humiliated…They are trying to divide society…This type of targeting was done by Nazis in Germany…I condemn it,” she said.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut accused the BJP of ending the unity of the country.
“Now you (BJP) are directing food stalls to put up nameplates based on caste and religion? Do you want to divide the country? You won’t profit from it. You are breaking the nation’s unity,” Raut said.
West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party chief Sukanta Majumdar, meanwhile, accused the Opposition of misleading the country. He claimed similar notifications were issued during the Mulayam Singh Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav governments.
He also accused Owaisi of playing the role of Jinnah.