SC orders eateries, hotels on Kanwar Yatra route to comply with licensing, refuses to stay QR code directive
A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh said it was not going into the other issues over display of names of the hotel or dhaba owner and the QR code, Tuesday being the last day of the Kanwar Yatra.
"We are told that today is the last day of the yatra. In any case it is likely to come to an end in the near future. Therefore, at this stage we would only pass an order that all the respective hotel owners shall comply with the mandate of displaying the licence and the registration certificate as per the statutory requirements," the bench said.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by academician Apoorvanand Jha and others.
Senior advocate Singhvi submitted that the UP government should have sought the modification of the court's 2024 order before issuing the QR code directives.
Singhvi argued the state government was trying to ostracise and exclude minorities by its QR code directive for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route.
"This is the most divisive initiative, to ostracise people during the yatra, as if these people are untouchables. Will my surname ensure that 'kanwariyas' receive good quality food not menu card? This is the most divisive initiative possible," the senior lawyer submitted.
Referring to news reports over the alleged attacks on certain shops by kanwariyas, the senior lawyer said, 'When you sow the seeds of divisiveness, the rest is taken care of by the populace.'
Responding to his submission, Justice Sundresh said people had different food choices and a vegetarian may choose to go to only a place serving exclusively vegetarian food, especially during a religious pilgrimage.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, said directions were issued in line with the requirements of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India regulations.
"There are people in this country who will not eat in there brother's house if meat is cooked. There are sentiments of devotees," Rohatgi said, 'and as per the regulations under the Act they require photo identity. Why are you scared of showing your name? I don't understand.'
Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing other petitioners, said the eateries along this route only sold vegetarian items during this period according to local regulations.
Justice Sundresh observed a customer must have the choice of knowing if a place was exclusively selling vegetarian items throughout.
"If a hotel is running as a vegetarian hotel all through, then the question of indicating names and other things will not arise. But if only for the purpose of yatra, somebody stops serving non-vegetarian and starts selling vegetarian, the consumer should know," the judge remarked.
He continued, "To that extent, consumers should have that flexibility. If one hotel was earlier serving non-vegetarian, and for the purpose of better business they serve only vegetarian during the yatra, it will be an issue for the consideration of the consumer. The choice is of the consumer. Consumer is the king."
The bench further said it was not inclined to examine the petition as the issue was infructuous considering it was last day of the yatra.
The Supreme Court last year stayed similar directives issued by Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh governments, asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners, staff and other details.
Referring to a press release issued by the UP government on June 25, Jha, said, "The new measures mandate the display of QR codes on all eateries along the kanwar route which reveal the names and identities of the owners, thereby achieving the same discriminatory profiling that was previously stayed by this court."
The petitioner said the state government's directive asking stall owners to reveal religious and caste identities under "lawful license requirements" breaches the right to privacy of the shop, dhaba and restaurant owners.
A large number of devotees travel from various places with "kanwars" carrying holy water from the Ganga to perform "jalabhishek" of Shivling during the Hindu calendar month of "Shravan".
Many believers shun the consumption of meat during the month and even avoid meals cooked with onion and garlic.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
38 minutes ago
- Time of India
Team Amritpal to challenge MP's continued detention under NSA in SC
Amritsar: Team Amritpal has decided to challenge the imposition of the National Security Act (NSA) against Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh for the third time in the Supreme Court . The team also expressed resentment over Amritpal's continued solitary confinement in Assam's Dibrugarh Jail, even as nine other persons who were detained alongside Amritpal at the high-security prison had already been shifted to Punjab. Advocate Imaan Singh Khara, legal counsel for Amritpal Singh, informed that he recently met the Lok Sabha member from Khadoor Sahib at Dibrugarh Jail and following the meeting, they have decided to file a petition in the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution seeking protection of Amritpal Singh's fundamental right to personal liberty and quashing of the third NSA order imposed on him. Amritpal Singh's detention under the NSA was extended for the third time on April 23. Imaan Singh also lamented that Amritpal Singh remained in solitary confinement, even as the other detainees had been transferred to different jails in Punjab. Out of the other nine detainees, four have been transferred to Bathinda Jail, three to Patiala Jail, and one each to Amritsar and Ropar jails, he said. It all began in Feb 2023, when Waris Punjab De activists, led by Amritpal Singh, stormed Ajnala police station under the cover of Guru Granth Sahib demanding the release of their associate Lovepreet Singh Toofan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Are You From Bangladesh? You Might Qualify For AI Courses Artificial Intelligence Course | Search Ad Undo During the incident, which was widely described as an attack on the state, eight police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police were injured. Such was the attack that the DSP required 18 stitches. In response, the police on March 18, 2023, launched an operation to apprehend Amritpal and after a month-long manhunt, he was finally arrested on April 23, 2023, from Rode village in Moga district. A senior member of the Team Amritpal, meanwhile, informed that Amritpal had not only given consent to contest the ensuing Tarn Taran byelection under the banner of Akali Dal Waris Punjab Dae, but also called upon the people of the constituency to support the party candidate. Sources said the party was still considering Paramjit Kaur Khalra's name for the bypoll and was in touch with the rights activist. Paramjit Kaur, however, in a post on X, had denied contesting any election. "Very soon we will announce our candidate and begin campaigning," said the source. MSID:: 122922747 413 |


Scroll.in
39 minutes ago
- Scroll.in
Supreme Court declines to extend stay on release of ‘Udaipur Files'
The Supreme Court on Friday declined to extend the stay on the release of the Hindi film Udaipur Files, which is reportedly based on the 2022 killing of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal, reported The Indian Express. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi told the petitioners to approach the Delhi High Court to challenge the Union government's order, which allowed the film to be released with six cuts, according to Live Law. The film was scheduled to be released on July 11. The Delhi High Court had stayed the release on June 10 and directed the Union government to examine the film's content. The Centre recommended that the film should be released with a disclaimer, The Indian Express reported. 'You first go to the High Court, the other side is satisfied with the central government order,' PTI quoted the bench as saying on Friday. 'So, please go to the High Court, why waste our time.' The Supreme Court also clarified that it was not commenting on the merits of the case and said that it was the High Court's domain. It requested the High Court to take up the matter on Monday. In June 2022, Lal, a tailor, was killed in Rajasthan's Udaipur for purportedly sharing a social media post in support of suspended Bharatiya Janata Party Spokesperson Nupur Sharma. She had made disparaging remarks about Prophet Muhammad during a television debate in May 2022. The assailants and several other persons accused in the matter were arrested by the Rajasthan Police. A video showed two men claiming responsibility for the killing of Lal as they brandished the cleavers used in the murder. The murder case was investigated by the National Investigation Agency and the persons accused in the matter were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The trial is underway in a Special NIA Court in Jaipur. The High Court had stayed the release of Udaipur Files while hearing a batch of petitions, including one filed by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind chief Maulana Arshad Madani, seeking a ban on the film. The petitioners had alleged that the film is communally provocative and vilifies the Muslim community. A day before the order, the Supreme Court had heard a writ petition filed by Mohammed Javed, one of the eight persons accused in the murder case. Javed argued that the release of the film would violate his right to a fair trial. He had sought that the release of the film be postponed until the trial in the matter concluded. The petitioner also argued that the film, based on its trailer, appeared to be communally provocative. In response, the Supreme Court said that the petition could be mentioned before the appropriate bench when the Supreme Court reopened on July 14 after the summer break. It added that the movie could be released in the meantime.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
FSL report tampering case: IGP to probe allegations, Punjab informs HC
1 2 Chandigarh: The Punjab govt has informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that allegations against the director of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Punjab —regarding pressure exerted on an assistant director to manipulate a report related to former Punjab minister and Mansa MLA Vijay Singla — will now be probed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) S Boparai. The statement was made in response to a petition filed by Dr Sandeep Kaur, assistant director in the audio unit of the physics division at the FSL. The state also informed the court that the inquiry report is likely to be concluded within the next few days. Dr Kaur filed the petition alleging caste-based harassment and pressure to manipulate the forensic report. She said that on Jan 3, while she and her team were engaged in routine discussions at the FSL in Mohali, FSL director Ashwani Kalia entered the lab and aggressively demanded access to the official seal, which she reportedly refused to hand over without due process. When she requested a formal discussion on the matter, the director allegedly lost his temper and made a caste-denoting and derogatory remark in front of staff members, including Varinder Singh, Visal Bhateja, and Gurpreet Kaur. The incident, she argues, constitutes an offence under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The petitioner also alleged that the harassment is linked to her refusal to alter the forensic findings. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Top 25 Most Beautiful Women In The World Articles Vally Undo The case, registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, concerns allegations that the former minister demanded commission in departmental tenders. The audio evidence central to the case was submitted to the FSL's audio unit, which is led by Dr Kaur. According to the petition, director Kalia pressured Dr Kaur to tamper with the voice analysis report to benefit the former minister. According to the plea, as the police failed to act on her complaint, she filed a complaint before the Additional Sessions Judge, Mohali, seeking directions to the police to register an FIR. However, she alleged that the judge has been adjourning the case since Feb 21, citing procedural delays in obtaining the police report. After hearing her plea, the HC also asked the Mohali court concerned to submit a report on the matter, which has been adjourned for Aug 28. Chandigarh: The Punjab govt has informed the Punjab and Haryana high court that allegations against the director of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Punjab —regarding pressure exerted on an assistant director to manipulate a report related to former Punjab minister and Mansa MLA Vijay Singla — will now be probed by Inspector General of Police (IGP) S Boparai. The statement was made in response to a petition filed by Dr Sandeep Kaur, assistant director in the audio unit of the physics division at the FSL. The state also informed the court that the inquiry report is likely to be concluded within the next few days. Dr Kaur filed the petition alleging caste-based harassment and pressure to manipulate the forensic report. She said that on Jan 3, while she and her team were engaged in routine discussions at the FSL in Mohali, FSL director Ashwani Kalia entered the lab and aggressively demanded access to the official seal, which she reportedly refused to hand over without due process. When she requested a formal discussion on the matter, the director allegedly lost his temper and made a caste-denoting and derogatory remark in front of staff members, including Varinder Singh, Visal Bhateja, and Gurpreet Kaur. The incident, she argues, constitutes an offence under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. The petitioner also alleged that the harassment is linked to her refusal to alter the forensic findings. The case, registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, concerns allegations that the former minister demanded commission in departmental tenders. The audio evidence central to the case was submitted to the FSL's audio unit, which is led by Dr Kaur. According to the petition, director Kalia pressured Dr Kaur to tamper with the voice analysis report to benefit the former minister. According to the plea, as the police failed to act on her complaint, she filed a complaint before the Additional Sessions Judge, Mohali, seeking directions to the police to register an FIR. However, she alleged that the judge has been adjourning the case since Feb 21, citing procedural delays in obtaining the police report. After hearing her plea, the HC also asked the Mohali court concerned to submit a report on the matter, which has been adjourned for Aug 28.