NEW DELHI: The Congress, which had vehemently opposed the "display nameplate" diktat for eateries on the route of Kanwar Yatra by BJP-led Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments, finds itself in an embarrassing situation with party's minister in Himachal Pradesh Vikramaditya Singh announcing a similar proposal for the state.
Vikramaditya Singh, who is the state public works minister, had on Wednesday announced that it will be mandatory for all shopkeepers and street vendors in Himachal Pradesh to display their identity cards. Street vendors, especially those selling food items, will also be checked for hygiene and quality by the food supplies department, he had added. The Himachal minister defended the move citing internal security concerns, people's apprehensions and also drug menace in the state.
The proposal comes in the backdrop of massive protests against the dispute over illegal construction in Shimla's Sanjauli mosque which put the spotlight on growing street vendors in the state and led to demands for a policy to identify, verify and register them. Following the incident, assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania constituted a seven-member committee of the assembly to make a street vendors policy.
"The decision on ID cards was taken considering "apprehensions" expressed by several locals about rising number of migrants in the state," Vikramaditya Singh said. He had also mentioned that the decision was taken on the lines of the one taken by the Uttar Pradesh government. "We have decided to make it mandatory for the street vendors to display their ID cards given by the street vendor's committee on the pattern adopted by the Uttar Pradesh government, which pioneered the idea," Singh had said.
However, the move has raised a storm within the party. Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo has openly criticised the state government's move. "I do not agree with the Himachal government's decision. I saw a video on social media showing crosses being marked above the shutters of minority-owned shops, indicating a boycott. This is condemnable, and if the Himachal government is doing this, questions will arise about whether it deserves to remain in power," Deo told news agency IANS.
The Congress incharge for Himachal Rajeev Shukla said that connecting the Himachal move to Uttar Pradesh was not right. "Vikramaditya has said that this is done to make sure only authorised persons can set up shops. The Himachal Pradesh assembly speaker has made an all-party committee to regulate hawkers and to give them licenses. Connecting this to Uttar Pradesh is not right," the Congress leader said.
Reports say the Congress leadership is not happy with Vikramaditya going overboard with the announcements. The Himachal Pradesh government has tried to distance itself from Vikramaditya's remarks and clarified that the proposal is yet to get a cabinet nod. Shukla also presented a report to the Congress high command on the proposal, news agency ANI reported.
The Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday issued a statement clarifying that no such decision has been taken.
However, the BJP has been quick to latch on to Vikramaditya's announcements and not just welcomed it but has also taken credit for initiating the move during its government in the state. "If the government is going to do this then I welcome it. There was already a street vendors policy which we had implemented but it was stopped after the Congress government came. Today we feel that it is needed, their minister himself has said this. I hope Vikramaditya Singh will stick to his word. We welcome his move," former Himachal Pradesh CM and LoP Jairam Thakur said.
When the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments had made a similar diktat during the Kanwar yatra, Congress was at the forefront opposing the order. Priyanka Gandhi had called the police directive "a crime against Contitution."
"Creating division in society on the basis of caste and religion is a crime against the Constitution. This order should be withdrawn immediately and strict action should be taken against the officials who issued it," Priyanka had then written on X.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi had criticized the diktat and accused the BJP of resorting to communal politics. "After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is not able to digest its moral defeat. So it has returned to the path of communal politics. An order has come that directs shopkeepers to display their names on their food stalls in Uttar Pradesh during the Kanwar yatra, in Assam politics is going on about the population of a certain community," Gogoi had then said.
The Supreme Court had eventually stayed the enforcement of these directives and had said that eateries should not be compelled by the police to display the names or, for that matter, the caste or religious identity of their owners or employees.
Vikramaditya Singh, who is the state public works minister, had on Wednesday announced that it will be mandatory for all shopkeepers and street vendors in Himachal Pradesh to display their identity cards. Street vendors, especially those selling food items, will also be checked for hygiene and quality by the food supplies department, he had added. The Himachal minister defended the move citing internal security concerns, people's apprehensions and also drug menace in the state.
The proposal comes in the backdrop of massive protests against the dispute over illegal construction in Shimla's Sanjauli mosque which put the spotlight on growing street vendors in the state and led to demands for a policy to identify, verify and register them. Following the incident, assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania constituted a seven-member committee of the assembly to make a street vendors policy.
"The decision on ID cards was taken considering "apprehensions" expressed by several locals about rising number of migrants in the state," Vikramaditya Singh said. He had also mentioned that the decision was taken on the lines of the one taken by the Uttar Pradesh government. "We have decided to make it mandatory for the street vendors to display their ID cards given by the street vendor's committee on the pattern adopted by the Uttar Pradesh government, which pioneered the idea," Singh had said.
However, the move has raised a storm within the party. Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister TS Singh Deo has openly criticised the state government's move. "I do not agree with the Himachal government's decision. I saw a video on social media showing crosses being marked above the shutters of minority-owned shops, indicating a boycott. This is condemnable, and if the Himachal government is doing this, questions will arise about whether it deserves to remain in power," Deo told news agency IANS.
The Congress incharge for Himachal Rajeev Shukla said that connecting the Himachal move to Uttar Pradesh was not right. "Vikramaditya has said that this is done to make sure only authorised persons can set up shops. The Himachal Pradesh assembly speaker has made an all-party committee to regulate hawkers and to give them licenses. Connecting this to Uttar Pradesh is not right," the Congress leader said.
Reports say the Congress leadership is not happy with Vikramaditya going overboard with the announcements. The Himachal Pradesh government has tried to distance itself from Vikramaditya's remarks and clarified that the proposal is yet to get a cabinet nod. Shukla also presented a report to the Congress high command on the proposal, news agency ANI reported.
The Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday issued a statement clarifying that no such decision has been taken.
However, the BJP has been quick to latch on to Vikramaditya's announcements and not just welcomed it but has also taken credit for initiating the move during its government in the state. "If the government is going to do this then I welcome it. There was already a street vendors policy which we had implemented but it was stopped after the Congress government came. Today we feel that it is needed, their minister himself has said this. I hope Vikramaditya Singh will stick to his word. We welcome his move," former Himachal Pradesh CM and LoP Jairam Thakur said.
When the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments had made a similar diktat during the Kanwar yatra, Congress was at the forefront opposing the order. Priyanka Gandhi had called the police directive "a crime against Contitution."
"Creating division in society on the basis of caste and religion is a crime against the Constitution. This order should be withdrawn immediately and strict action should be taken against the officials who issued it," Priyanka had then written on X.
Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi had criticized the diktat and accused the BJP of resorting to communal politics. "After the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is not able to digest its moral defeat. So it has returned to the path of communal politics. An order has come that directs shopkeepers to display their names on their food stalls in Uttar Pradesh during the Kanwar yatra, in Assam politics is going on about the population of a certain community," Gogoi had then said.
The Supreme Court had eventually stayed the enforcement of these directives and had said that eateries should not be compelled by the police to display the names or, for that matter, the caste or religious identity of their owners or employees.
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