Actor Sonu Sood has spoken out on the controversy surrounding the new guidelines for eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar. Sharing his views on X, Sood said, “There should be only one nameplate on every shop: ‘HUMANITY’.”

Scriptwriter Javed Akhtar also criticized the guidelines, drawing a parallel with Nazi Germany. He wrote on X: “The Muzaffarnagar UP police have instructed that on the route of a particular religious procession, all shops, restaurants and vehicles must prominently display the name of the owner. Why? In Nazi Germany, they marked certain shops and houses in a similar manner.”

The controversy began after the Muzaffarnagar police asked eateries on the Kanwar Yatra route to “voluntarily” display the names of their owners and employees. The police clarified that the intention was not to create “religious discrimination” but to help devotees avoid confusion and prevent possible law and order problems.

The police statement said: “During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, many Kanwariyas abstain from certain food items. In the past, some shopkeepers gave their shops names which caused confusion. To avoid this and respect the faith of devotees, we requested hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers to voluntarily mention the names of the owner and employees. This practice was in place earlier.”

AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi also condemned the directive, comparing it to “apartheid” in South Africa and “boycott of Jews” in Nazi Germany. He posted on X: “As per the order of the Uttar Pradesh police, every owner of a grocery shop or cart must put his name on the board to prevent Kanwarias from accidentally buying from a Muslim shop.”

Senior Superintendent of Police, Muzaffarnagar, Abhishek Singh, explained, “Preparations for the Kanwar Yatra have begun. Eateries, hotels, dhabas and thelas have been directed to mention the names of their owners. This will ensure that there is no confusion among the Kanwarias and prevent future allegations, thereby maintaining law and order.”

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the preparations for the Kanwar Yatra, which begins on July 22, and issued necessary guidelines. The review meeting included ministers of water, electricity, urban development, energy and the PWD minister and state ministers.