‘Hindu, Muslim doesn’t matter...’: Baba Ramdev on name display mandate for kanwar yatra route shops

Yoga guru and businessman Baba Ramdev on July 21 backed the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand government's direction to shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names, saying everyone should be proud of their names and only thing that matters is purity in one's work.  

“If Ramdev has no problem in revealing his identity, then why should Rahman have a problem in revealing his identity? Everyone should be proud of their name,” he told media persons in Haridwar. 

“There is no need to hide the name, only purity is required in work. If our work is pure, it does not matter if we are Hindu, Muslim or from any other community...,” the Yoga guru added. 

Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, issued an order on July 19 requiring all restaurants along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners outside their shops. 

The CM noted that this decision comes on the heels of the need to protect the stake and sanctity of the religious pilgrims. Now, every eatery, be it a restaurant, a roadside dhaba, or even a food cart, will have to display the name and details of the owner.  

The decision was made one day after the Muzaffarnagar police had ordered the same for the entire district. In response to this, many opposition parties forced the police to withdraw their instructions. 

Meanwhile, days after the Muzaffarnagar Police asked all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names, the administration has now extended the diktat to other shops as well to avoid any “confusion”. 

On July 20, officials of the Muzaffarnagar Police visited local mechanic and barber shops along the Kanwar route, instructing their owners to place boards outside the shops displaying their names and contact numbers. 

Following in the footsteps of Uttarakhand and UP government, the Ujjain municipal body has also ordered shopkeepers to display their names. Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal on July 20 said that violators will have to pay a Rs 2,000 fine for the first offence and Rs 5,000 if they defy this order. 

“Ujjain is a religious and holy city. People come here with religious aastha (faith). They have the right to know about the shopkeeper whose services they are availing. If a customer is dissatisfied or cheated, knowing the shopkeeper's details allows them to seek redress,” he said.