Sonu Sood on Kanwar Yatra Row: “Only One Name Plate Needed: Humanity”

Actor Sonu Sood has weighed in on the controversy regarding the new guidelines for eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar. Sood expressed his opinion on X, stating, “There should be only one name plate on every shop: ‘HUMANITY’.”

Screenwriter Javed Akhtar also criticized the guidelines, drawing a parallel with Nazi Germany. He wrote on X, “Muzaffarnagar UP police have instructed that on the route of a particular religious procession, all shops, restaurants, and vehicles should display the name of the owner prominently. Why? In Nazi Germany, they marked particular shops and houses in a similar manner.”

The controversy started after Muzaffarnagar Police requested eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees. The police clarified that the intention was not to create “religious discrimination” but to help devotees avoid confusion and prevent potential law and order issues.

The police statement read, “During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, many Kanwariyas abstain from certain food items. In the past, some shopkeepers named their shops in ways that caused confusion. To prevent this and respect devotees’ faith, we asked hotels, dhabas, and shopkeepers to display owner and employee names voluntarily. This practice has been in place previously.”

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also condemned the directive, likening it to “apartheid” in South Africa and “judenboycott” in Nazi Germany. He posted on X, “According to the Uttar Pradesh Police’s order, every food shop or cart owner must put their name on the board to prevent Kanwarias from mistakenly buying from a Muslim shop.”

Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarnagar, Abhishek Singh, explained, “Preparations for the Kanwar Yatra have started. Eateries, hotels, dhabas, and thelas have been instructed to display the names of their proprietors. This ensures there’s no confusion among the Kanwarias and avoids future allegations, maintaining law and order.”

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the preparations for the Kanwar Yatra, which begins on July 22, and issued necessary guidelines. The review meeting included ministers of water, power, urban development, energy, and the PWD minister and state ministers.