Uttar Pradesh directive stirs controversy, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary questions Yogi govt’s policies

Jatra Kanwar 2024: The Uttar Pradesh government’s recent order that all shops along the Kanwar route must put up signboards has sparked a major row. The Yogi Adityanath government has said it is doing so to “respect the sentiments” of the Kanwariyas who are undertaking the 2024 Kanwar Yatra. But it has already come under attack from political opponents — including NDA allies and rivals.

Controversial directive sparks debate

Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary — the main party in western Uttar Pradesh — has come out strongly against the directive. For the outspoken leader Chaudhary, the policy is “beyond comprehension.” He asked whether wearing nameplates on kurtas should now be made mandatory, suggesting that the directive is an unnecessary intertwining of religion and caste with mundane life.

In a recent media interaction, he said, “Kanwar Yatra is a religious event; service and devotion are beyond personal identities like religion and caste.” He reiterated that putting up nameplates does not fit the spirit of the pilgrimage, where faith should be the motto and not singling out shopkeepers by their names. Among other things, he commented on the impracticality of the policy, as international brands like McDonald’s and Burger King would certainly not follow the order.

Jayant Chaudhary’s strong opposition

The Yogi government’s decision to put up name boards for shops along the Kanwar route has been presented as a logistical move to facilitate the Yatra, but it is a policy that has generated much scepticism and opposition. Critics have argued that instead of ensuring order and respect for pilgrims, it could increase communal tensions.

The controversy over the direction of the nameplate is stirring a broader debate at the intersection of religious practice and administrative decisions. The reception of the policy simply showed how much the government has to struggle with, balancing logistical concerns with communal sensitivities.

Questioning the practicality of politics

With the Kanwar Yatra just a few days away, the ongoing debate symbolises how complicated it is to execute politics in a diverse and politically charged atmosphere. The directive on naming the Kanwar route has joined the list of other contentious points in the political arena of Uttar Pradesh, drawing flak from both supporters and opponents. How far-reaching the administrative decision is in terms of communal harmony and sentiments in general, opens up a wide range of concerns.