New Delhi:

The dissent against the Uttar Pradesh government’s order to eateries to display names of owners during kanwar yatra has spread to the ruling alliance. Two Union ministers who are BJP allies have appealed to the state to roll back its decision. A third party, NItish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, has also criticised the order, calling it an example of discrimination.

After Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan — who handles the Food Processing industries portfolio at the Centre — Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary today said kanwariyas ask no-one their religion when they seek service. Neither should the matter (serving kanwariyas) be linked to any religion, he added.

“It seems that the order was taken without much thought and the government is adamant on it because the decision has been taken,” Mr Chaudhary — junior minister for education who has independent charge of skill development — was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

“There is still time. It (roll back) should happen or the government should not put much emphasis on (implementing) it,” he added.

Mr Chaudhary also questioned if one should wear a name tag on one’s clothes to identify one’s religion. “Where all one would be made to place these identifiers! Should we now wear name tags too? So that one knows who to shake hands with?” said Mr Chaudhary, whose party has its stronghold in western Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, Union minister Chirag Paswan had unequivocally opposed the order, saying he would “absolutely… never support or encourage” any divide in the name of caste or religion.

Another BJP ally, Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (United), has also criticised the move. Party leader KC Tyagi has said the order should be withdrawn as it may cause communal tension. There should be no discrimination based on religion or caste, he said.

The Muzaffarnagar Police order to eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display owners’ names, has now been extended across Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The order has been hugely criticised by the Opposition parties, who maintain it targets Muslim traders.

The matter came up in the traditional all-party meet held ahead of parliament’s budget session today. The Opposition parties made it clear that this will be one of the issues that will come up during the session.

Congress leader K Suresh said the party’s senior leader Gaurav Gogoi and Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh criticised the decision at the meeting.

(With agencies)

Patna:

While JD-U leaders continue to demand special status for Bihar, Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi asserted that the NITI Aayog has clearly ruled out the provision for any state, but noted the state’s financial needs will be met.

“The NITI Aayog has clearly denied special status to any state in the country. People from different political parties can do anything, but special status will not be given to any state,” he said while interacting with media persons in Hajipur.

He added that the Central government has assured financial assistance to Bihar. “Whatever amount of money is needed for development, the central government and PM Narendra Modi will provide it,” Jitan Ram Manjhi said.

Since the formation of the NDA government at the Centre, JD-U leaders have been advocating for special status for Bihar and Water Resource Minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary and Building Construction Minister Ashok Choudhary have been vocal in their demands.

Meanwhile, opposition leaders like RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and Congress leader Meira Kumar have mocked the JD-U for seeking special status from the BJP despite being part of the NDA government.

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

Patna:

Janata Dal United (JDU) MLA Gopal Mandal got enraged when asked by journalists why he had carried a revolver to a hospital recently and said, “Baap ho ki mana karoge?”

“Ha, lehrayethe (Yes, I brandished my weapon). Tum log humare baap ho ki mana karoge? (Are you my father that you will stop me?)” the JDU Minister said in a heated moment, speaking to reporters in Patna on Friday.

The MLA was also heard hurling expletives at the reporters surrounding him.

However, initially, Mr Mandal tried to tone down his action saying that he had placed his revolver in his pyjamas and it slipped.

“I had taken the revolver and kept it in my pyjama. Just when I placed my foot on the stairs it slipped. Are you journalists or what. I find it difficult placing it on my waist,” he said.

The JDU MLA waded into a controversy when a video surfaced in which he was purportedly holding a pistol while walking into the state-run Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College and Hospital in Bihar’s Bhagalpur.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has earlier criticised the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar for bringing about ‘jungle raj‘ (reign of crime) in the state. The video offers fresh ammunition to the BJP.

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