Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 16 (ANI): Following Supreme Court's notice to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking their response on pleas challenging the government's directive to shopkeepers to put up QR codes at their eateries along the route of Kanwar Yatra, Samajwadi Party leader Ravidas Mehrotra expressed hope that the SC would again act in favour of those who set up shops during the yatra.

Speaking to ANI, Mehrotra emphasised that the people of all religions and castes welcome the devotees during the Yatra and also organise 'Bhandaras' for them.

'People of all religions and castes welcome the devotees who undertake the Kanwar Yatra at various places and organise bhandaras for them, but the BJP government was forcing the shops that are set up during the Kanwar Yatra to write their nameplates and the names of the employees. Those shopkeepers were being oppressed on the basis of that name. So those people went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had earlier also imposed a ban that the state government cannot force anyone to write their name, religion and caste. But still, the state government again imposed this rule. Today, the Supreme Court heard the case against it, and it is hoped that the Supreme Court will again act in favour of those who set up shops during the pilgrimage,' the SP leader said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand seeking their responses to a plea challenging the mandate that requires shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display QR codes, which could be scanned to reveal the names of the owners.

The UP government had issued an order earlier this year, mandating eateries to display QR codes containing information on the shop owners. Subsequently, the Uttarakhand government also followed with a similar order.

The mandate, now being challenged in the Supreme Court, is alleged to be violative of the fundamental rights of citizens.

The plea further states that the direction requiring vendors to display their names and identities will lead to discriminatory profiling. It also notes that a similar mandate issued by the UP government last year was stayed by the Supreme Court.

Thus, the plea seeks the respondent government to explain how the said mandate does not violate the constitutional rights of citizens and the interim stay order issued by the Supreme Court last year.

The plea also suggests that such a mandate should be limited to standard licensing requirements, and vague directives requiring the display of names should be eliminated. After hearing submissions, the Court posted the matter to be heard next week. (ANI)