New Delhi:

The Uttar Pradesh government has firmly opposed petitions challenging its directive requiring shop owners along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names prominently.

In a detailed submission to the Supreme Court, the state government said that the directive was issued to ensure a peaceful and orderly pilgrimage.

The state government further explained that the directive was issued in response to complaints received from Kanwariyas regarding confusion caused by the names of the shops and eateries.

“The yatra is an arduous journey, where some Kanwariyas , i.e. the Dak Kanwariyas, do not even stop to rest once the Kanwar is on their shoulders. There are sacred features of the pilgrimage, such as the fact that the Kanwar, once filled with holy Gangajal, is not to be kept on the ground; nor under the shadow of the gular tree. It may also be noted that a Kanwaria embarks on the Yatra after years of preparation,” the government said in its statement.

The Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage where devotees of Lord Shiva, known as Kanwariyas, travel to fetch holy water from the Ganges River, sees millions of participants each year. 

The Uttar Pradesh government claimed that the directive was introduced in response to specific complaints from Kanwariyas. Pilgrims had allegedly raised concerns about the food being served along the route, which led to apprehensions regarding its preparation in line with religious practices.

The opposition has targetted the government calling the directive ‘anti-muslim’ and aimed at creating divisions within the society.

Devotees across the nation began their Kanwar Yatra on July 22, on the occasion of the first Monday of ‘Sawan’.

Many devotees thronged temples dedicated to Lord Shiva to offer their prayers and also took a holy dip in the Ganga to mark the first Monday of ‘Sawan’.

Devotees flock to temples, including the Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain, the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, the Kali Paltan temple in Meerut, and the Jharkhandi Mahadev Temple in Gorakhpur, to offer their prayers.

Hathras, UP:

 The Uttar Pradesh government has set up a three-member Judicial Inquiry Commission under the chairmanship of retired Justice Brijesh Kumar Srivastava (II) of Allahabad High Court to investigate the July 2 Hathras stampede, in which at least 121 died.

A notification in this regard was issued by Governor Anandiben Patel late on Wednesday night.

Retired IAS officer Hemant Rao and retired IPS officer Bhavesh Kumar Singh have been appointed as members of the inquiry commission. The headquarters of the commission will be located in Lucknow.

The commission is tasked with completing its investigation within two months from the date of the notification.

According to an official release, any extension of this duration will require an order from the state government. The commission will investigate the prescribed points and submit the report to the state government.

The prescribed points for the probe include investigating the organiser’s compliance with the conditions set for granting permission by the district administration. The commission will also investigate whether the incident was an accident, a conspiracy, or the result of another planned criminal act.

Additionally, the commission will examine crowd control and law and order arrangements by the administration and the police during the event, along with related aspects. It will also analyse the reasons and circumstances leading to the incident.

Furthermore, the commission will provide recommendations to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.

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