Preparations underway for Kanwar Yatra (Photo: PTI)
Staff of hotels and eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar were allegedly forced to take off their pants to prove their religion in drives spearheaded yet again by a local extremist seer, Swamy Yashveer Maharaj.
The local baba’s campaign forcing eateries along the pilgrimage route to display their owners’ religion began on June 28 this year. Local reports alleged that the seer conducted checks across the route with a force of over 5000 supporters.
Pandit Ji Vaishnav Dhaba cook Gopal did not have his Aadhaar card on his person when the eatery was raided by Maharaj’s crusaders.
Unable to prove his religion, Gopal’s pants were taken off by the mob. “They said they must know if I’m Hindu or Muslim. They told me to get naked,” Gopal told reporters. “I feel sick after what has happened.”
Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police Satyanarayan Prajapat refused to comment on the matter when asked by Siasat.com.
Speaking to reporters, Maharaj said, “We have been conducting this campaign for 2 years. There are many Muslim eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route that operate with dharmic names. Many pilgrims are deceived and eat at these outlets.”
“Worshippers unintentionally commit sacrilege when Muslim staff mix in cow meat, spit, or urinate into their food to make it impure. This makes men impotent and women infertile,” Maharaj claimed.
When questioned on his authority to check identification proofs, Maharaj said, “We checked Aadhaar cards only to see if the staff have Hindu names like their hotels. We have no issue with their eateries; only that they openly display their name, and not use any of ours.”
Maharaj also expressed his gratitude to UP CM Yogi Adityanath for declaring it compulsory for eateries to disclaim the owners’ names openly.
The campaign has come true to Maharaj’s promise. Earlier this month, Maharaj issued similar warnings in a video posted to his Facebook handle.
“There are certain people with a “jihadi” mentality on the Kanwar Yatra route that run eateries using the names of our deities,” he said. Maharaj goes on to warn that ‘5000 Hindu Veer will be deployed’ to ensure that they cannot run any shop.
About 240 kilometres of the Kanwar Yatra route lie in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district. Almost half the population of the district is Muslim.
In July last year, the Muzaffarnagar police issued an order stating that all shopkeepers should display their names and religious identity in front of their stalls. They defended the order, stating it would “help them control communal tensions during the Kanwar Yatra.”
The directive drew vast condemnation from all sectors of life, with activists and opposition parties blaming the Yogi Adityanath government for creating a religious divide. Finally, the Supreme Court took a suo motu and issued an interim stay, allowing businesses to state whether they serve vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. However, this has not deterred the baba’s way.
This post was last modified on June 30, 2025 5:23 pm