New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Friday issued a directive preventing shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route from being compelled to display their names on carts or eateries. The court confirmed that its interim order, which stays the directives issued by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments, will remain in effect.The Supreme Courts order will be in place until the next hearing, scheduled for August 5. The court has instructed the Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh governments to submit their responses within one week regarding the issue.Kanwar Yatra | The Supreme Court continues its interim order of staying directives issued by authorities of certain State governments that eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route should display the names of the owners outside such shops.— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2024Cannot be mandated to show A Bench comprising Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti clarified that while eateries may choose to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees outside their premises, they cannot be mandated to do so. The court emphasized that its order specifically prohibits any compulsion to display such information.“For voluntarily displaying names there is no issue,” the court noted. “Our order says that they cannot be forced to put out owner names and employee names outside the dhaba.”Concerns raised by shopkeepers This ruling comes in response to concerns raised by shopkeepers and vendors about the imposition of mandatory name displays during the Kanwar Yatra, a major pilgrimage in India. The courts interim order aims to protect the shopkeepers from being compelled to adhere to the controversial directive while legal proceedings continue.
