The police in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district on Friday directed all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage route to display the names of their owners, ANI reported. The order was issued amid a furore surrounding a similar directive passed by authorities in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district.

Senior Superintendent of Police Padmendra Dobhal told the news agency that hotels, dhabas and restaurants have been directed to display the names of their owners, and that legal action will be taken against those who do not comply.

“Many a times, a situation of dispute arises due to this; hence, this decision has been taken by us,” the official said.”

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami backed the directive, asking why anyone would want to hide their identity, according to The Times of India. He claimed that there had been instances in the past of shop owners using fake names.

“The decision aims to create transparency and is not targeting any particular community or individual,” Dhami said. “…If someone is working legitimately, why would they use a fake name?”

District magistrate of Haridwar Dheeraj Singh Garbyal claimed that this was a routine order issued annually to ensure law and order, reported the newspaper.

“Maintaining law and order is our biggest concern, and we took this decision in the wake of such potential issues,” he told the newspaper.

Many Muslim traders from Haridwar, Meerut, Bijnor, and Muzaffarnagar set up shops during the ten-day kanwar event held in Haridwar. The event is organised by the city’s municipal corporation.

“Until this year, we did not face any problem here, and many regular kanwariyas have become familiar with us,” Mohammed Rizwan, a trader and artisan from Meerut told The Times of India. “I don't understand why the authorities made this decision, but we will follow the guidelines for conducting business. Whether our sales will be affected or not remains to be seen.”

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