Mumbai:

Bollywood screenwriter Javed Akhtar reacted to the ongoing controversy over eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar being asked to display their owners’ names.

“Muzaffarnagar UP police has given instructions that on the route of a particular religious procession in near future all the shops restaurants n even vehicles should show the name of the owner prominently and clearly. Why? In Nazi Germany they used to make only a mark on particular shops and houses,” Javed Akhtar posted on X.

After a row erupted over eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar being asked to display their owners’ names, Muzaffarnagar Police on Thursday said that the police have urged all the eateries to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and employees, adding that the intention of this order is not to create any kind of “religious discrimination” but only to facilitate the devotees.

“During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighbouring states, via Western Uttar Pradesh, collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar district. During the holy month of Shravan, many people, especially Kanwariyas, abstain from certain food items in their diet,” the Muzaffarnagar police stated.

“In the past, such instances have come to light where some shopkeepers selling all types of food items on Kanwar Marg named their shops in such a way that it created confusion among the Kanwariyas and created a law and order situation. To prevent such a recurrence and in view of the faith of the devotees, hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on Kanwar Marg have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees. The intention of this order is not to create any kind of religious discrimination but only to facilitate the devotees passing through Muzaffarnagar district, counter allegations and save the law and order situation. This system has been prevalent in the past, too,” it added.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday and likened the significant move to “apartheid” in South Africa and “judenboycott” in Hitler’s Germany.

“As per the order of the Uttar Pradesh Police, now every food shop or cart owner will have to put his name on the board so that no Kanwadia buys anything from a Muslim shop by mistake. This was called Apartheid in South Africa and in Hitler’s Germany, it was called ‘Judenboycott’,” Mr Owaisi posted on X.

Mr Owaisi shared the video of Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzzaffarnagar, Abhishek Singh on X, in which SSP said, “Preparations have begun for the kanwar yatra. In the area under our jurisdiction, which is around 240 km, all eateries, hotels, dhabas, and thelas (roadside carts) have been instructed to display the names of their proprietors or those running the shop. This is being done to ensure that there’s no confusion among the kanwarias and no allegations are raised in the future, leading to a law and order situation. Everyone is following this of their own free will.”

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday reviewed the preparations for the holy Kanwar Yatra, which begins on July 22, and provided necessary guidelines. The meeting was attended by ministers of water, power, urban development, and energy, along with the PWD minister and state ministers.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Veteran screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar hit out at a social media user who branded him “son of gaddar (traitor)”, and said his family has been part of the Indian freedom movement since the Revolt of 1857. Mr Akhtar’s retort came in response to the social media user’s swipe at him over a post in which he commented on US President Joe Biden’s chances of being re-elected.

I am a proud Indian citizen and till my last breath I will remain so but I have one common fact with Joe Biden . Both of us have exactly equal chance of becoming the next president of USA .

— Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) July 6, 2024

“I am a proud Indian citizen and till my last breath I will remain so but I have one common fact with Joe Biden. Both of us have exactly equal chance of becoming the next president of USA (sic)” Mr Akhtar wrote on X.

The social media user had commented on the industry veteran’s post and called him “a son of Gaddar who divided our nation” on religious lines.

Mr Akhtar, known for his vocal views on a range of topics, clapped back at the user on Saturday and replied: “It is difficult to decide whether you are totally ignorant or a complete idiot.”

“From 1857 my family has been involved with freedom movement n has gone to jails and Kala paani when most probably your baap dadas were licking the boots of Angrez sarkar (sic).”

The 79-year-old writer is the son of lyricist-poet Jan Nisar Akhtar, who was an active part of the Progressive Writers’ Movement in pre-Partition British India, and writer Safiya Siraj-ul Haq.

His great great grandfather Fazl-e-Haq Khairabadi was a freedom fighter who participated in the 1857 rebellion against the rule of the British East India Company. Khairabadi was sentenced to life in prison in the Cellular Jail, also known as Kala Paani, on the Andaman Islands where he also died in 1864.

On the same X thread, Mr Akhtar further wrote that former US first lady Michelle Obama can “save USA” from ex-president Donald Trump, Biden’s Republican opponent in the upcoming elections.

“I have expressed my opinion quite a few times in the past and still stand by it that the only one who can save USA from Trump is Michelle Obama (sic).” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)