NDA Ally RLD Joins Chorus Against BJP's Kanwar Yatra Order: 'What Name Will McDonald's Write'?

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary voiced his disapproval of the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand BJP governments' directive for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names.

He stated that Kanwar yatris do not consider the religion of those offering "sewa" before accepting it.

Chaudhary remarked that the decision to issue this directive was made hastily, and now the government is adamant about it.

He added, "I feel the decision wasn't taken after a lot of thought, and now that it has been taken, they are sticking to it. This happens in government sometimes."

Earlier, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan also criticised the advisory, which was initially issued by Muzaffarnagar police in Uttar Pradesh.

Paswan said, "It is every government's responsibility to work for the poor, which includes all sections of society such Dalits, backwards, upper castes and Muslims as well."

Despite facing criticism from allies and opposition parties, the BJP defended the order. Former Union minister Sanjeev Balyan mentioned that similar orders were enforced last year. He accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) of attempting to create a communal divide.

Chaudhary commented after an all-party meeting held ahead of Parliament's Budget session on Monday.

The RLD, a BJP ally with strong influence in western Uttar Pradesh including Muzaffarnagar, announced plans to raise objections with both central and state governments.

"All organisations can write their name. The owner can be different and the brand can be different. What will McDonald's write? What will Burger King in Khatauli write? There are old brands, and they can have multiple owners," Chaudhary noted.

Chaudhary expressed hope that the directive might not be strictly enforced. He said he observed no significant pressure from the administration regarding its implementation.

He also highlighted that clarity on whether food is vegetarian or non-vegetarian is more important than knowing who prepares it.

"As far as vegetarian and non-vegetarian (food) are concerned, it makes sense. It should be clear whether the food ingredients and process are vegetarian or not. How does it matter who makes it? There are vegetarian Muslims and non-veg-eating Hindus," he explained.

The RLD leader emphasised that those serving Kanwar yatris do so for blessings without considering caste or religion.

"No one recognises caste and religion before accepting sewa and this issue should not be linked to caste and religion," he asserted.