Supreme Court extends interim stay on Kanwar Yatra nameplate diktat

Asks Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to file their response to the pleas challenging their respective directives

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed the continuation of its July 22 interim order staying the directives issued by the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh, asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra routes to display the names of their owners, staff and other details.

A Bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti said it won’t issue any clarification on the July 22 order as “We have said what needed to be said in our July 22 order. Can’t force anyone to disclose names.”

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The Bench asked the Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to file their response to the pleas challenging their respective directives. It allowed the petitioners to file their responses to the replies of the state governments and posted the matter on August 5.

In its reply, the Uttar Pradesh government defended its directive requiring eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners and staff, saying the idea was to bring in transparency, avoid “potential confusion” and ensure a peaceful yatra.

On July 22, the apex court ordered an interim stay on the directives issued by the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh governments.