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The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday strongly condemned the directive issued by the BJP state governments in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to all eateries to display their owners' names along the entire stretch of the Kanwar Yatra route .
CPI (M) said in a statement that the decisions taken by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments were clearly designed to sharpen communal polarisation and foster tensions among religious communities. "This move is blatantly unconstitutional and strikes at the foundation of the fundamental right of equality for all citizens," CPI (M) said. CPI (M) further said in a statement that while the immediate objective is to sharpen communal polarisation, such actions by the BJP governments may soon lead to the exacerbation of caste tensions and intensifying caste-based social oppression. "This is the direction in which the BJP aims to reorder our society along the lines of the 'Manusmriti', negating the foundations of our Constitution and its guarantee of liberty, equality, fraternity and justice for all citizens," CPI (M) said. "The parties in the NDA alliance must immediately ensure that such divisive and dangerous moves are not permitted and must mount pressure both the UP and Uttarakhand governments to rescind this order," CPI (M) said. Earlier on Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath mandated that food and beverage shops along Kanwar routes display the name and identity of the operator/owner to maintain the sanctity of the pilgrims' faith. Additionally, action will be taken against those selling halal-certified products. Earlier, Muzaffarnagar Police said that the police have urged all the eateries to "voluntarily display" the names of their owners and employees, adding that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of "religious discrimination" but only to facilitate the devotees. "During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighbouring states, via Western Uttar Pradesh, collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar district. During the holy month of Shravan, many people, especially Kanwariyas, abstain from certain food items in their diet," the Muzaffarnagar police stated. The move by the Uttar Pradesh government to enforce the use of ID cards by all shops in the state that fall along the Kanwar Yatra route has resulted in a political slugfest between the BJP and the opposition. However, the move has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition parties, which have accused the UP government of singling out one community. (ANI)
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