Mumbai: Javed Akhtar Criticises UP Police’s Kanwar Yatra Directive, Compares It To Nazi Practices

Mumbai: Noted poet and screenwriter Javed Akhtar lashed at the Uttar Pradesh Police (UP) Police's directive to eateries along the Kanwar yatra route to display the names of the owners, comparing it with the Nazi boycott of Jewish businesses.

Taking to X on Thursday, he wrote, "Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in near future all the shops, restaurants and even vehicles should show the name of the owner prominently and clearly. Why ? In Nazi Germany they used to make only a mark on particular shops and houses," he said.

Earlier this week, the police had asked to 'voluntarily' display the names of the eateries on the 240-km long pilgrimage route to avoid any 'confusion' to the Kanwariyas who avoid 'certain' food during their journey. "Preparations of Sawan month have started in the district. About 240 km of Kanwar Yatra route falls in the district. All the eateries, including hotels, dhabas and carts, on the route have been asked to display the names of their proprietors or those working on these shops," Muzaffarnagar police chief Abhishek Singh said on Monday.

The decision prompted criticism from opposition parties, which believe that the move is aimed at targeting Muslims. While All Indian Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi termed "apartheid", Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera called the order “state-sponsored bigotry”. Last year, Ghaziabad district administration had decided to shut liquor and meat shops on two Kanwar routes in the district.