Amid the Uttar Pradesh Kanwar Yatra order row, the Ujjain Municipal Corporation in Madhya Pradesh instructed shop owners to display their names and mobile numbers outside their establishments.
Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said violators must pay a ₹2,000 penalty for the first offence and ₹5,000 if they repeat the violation of this order for the second time. He clarified that this order aims to ensure safety and transparency, not to target Muslim shop owners, PTI reported.
Ujjain, the hometown of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, is famous for its Mahakal temple, which draws devotees worldwide, especially during the Savaan month, starting Monday.
"All formalities have been already completed. The implementation was delayed as the nameplates were initially required to be of the same size and colour. Now, we have relaxed these terms. Displaying the names and mobile numbers of shopkeepers will suffice," he told PTI.
"Ujjain is a religious and holy city. People come here with religious aastha. 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," the mayor added.
He emphasized that the measure, based on the MP Shop Establishment Act or Gumasta License, aims to improve customer safety. Ujjain is preparing to host the Simhastha (Kumbh) Mela in 2028, a major religious festival occurring every 12 years.
This move reflects a recent directive in Uttar Pradesh, where all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route were instructed to display the names of their owners.
Recently, the Muzaffarnagar Police recently announced their plans to have all eateries under their 240 km jurisdiction — including roadside carts — display the names of proprietors and managers. The move — purportedly to avoid any ‘confusion’ — has sparked allegations of bias against Muslim traders.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said, “As per the order of Uttar Pradesh Police, now every food shop or cart owner will have to put his name on the board so that no Kanwadia buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. This was called Apartheid in South Africa and in Hitler's Germany it was called Judenboycott.”
“And what if the name of the owner is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fatte? What can you find out from these names? The honourable court should take suo motu cognizance of this matter and investigate the intentions of the government and take appropriate punitive action. Such an order is a social crime aimed at spoiling the peaceful atmosphere and harmony,” added former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
(With PTI inputs)
