The Uttar Pradesh government has told the Supreme Court that its directive for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage route to display their owners’ names was meant to ensure that the religious sentiments of the devotees are not hurt, even accidentally, Live Law reported on Friday.

The directive was first issued by the authorities in Muzaffarnagar district on July 17 and then applied across the state on July 19.

The state government has defended the diktat before the top court, saying it was issued in the interest of maintaining “peace and tranquillity”.

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the directive, along with a similar direction given by the authorities in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar.

During the Kanwar Yatra, devotees, called Kanwariyas, walk hundreds of kilometres to collect water from the Ganga near Haridwar and carry it back to their home states to offer at temples. The devotees mainly come from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. This year’s Kanwar Yatra started on Monday and will conclude on August 2.

“Even small confusions regarding the kind of food Kanwariyas are served has the potential to hurt their religious sentiments and cause flare-ups, especially in a communally sensitive area like Muzaffarnagar,” the Uttar Pradesh has told the top court, according to Live Law.

The state government’s reply reads: “It may be noted that the idea behind the directives is transparency and informed choice of the consumer/Kanwaria regarding the food they eat during the period of the yatra, keeping in mind their religious sentiments so that they don’t, even accidentally, fall foul of their beliefs.”

The Uttar Pradesh government also cited “public safety” as a justification for its order, saying: “Given the large number of participants and the potential for communal tensions, it is imperative to take preventive measures that ensure a peaceful and harmonious pilgrimage. Past incidents have shown that misunderstandings regarding the type of food being sold have led to tensions and disturbances.”

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and the Association of Protection of Civil Rights have filed petitions challenging the directives, while Delhi University Professor Apoorvanand Jha and activist Aakar Patel jointly filed a similar plea.

The petitioners contended that the directives facilitate discrimination on the grounds of religion and caste, and that they violate fundamental rights.

The court will hear the matter again on Friday.

Also read: Kanwar yatra food directive is unconstitutional – and the police know this