"Desh Secular Nahi Hai": NDTV Confronts Vigilante Over Kanwar Yatra Crackdown

Members of a Hindu group who asked a Muslim man to remove his pants to check his identity have doubled down on their act, claiming they have a right to check the religion of people working at shops and eateries along Kanwar Yatra routes in Uttar Pradesh.

The row began after a Muslim man named Tajammul was found working under the assumed identity of "Gopal" at a roadside dhaba to protect himself from Hindu groups.

The dhaba - which has since shut down due to protests - is off National Highway 58 in UP's Muzaffarnagar. Tajammul alleged members of the Hindu group pulled down his pants and thrashed him.

NDTV spoke to the members of the Hindu group for an explanation. To a question why they took the law in their hands when it was the police's job to look into it, one of the vigilantes shot back, "Who has given you permission to ask such questions? If you were in our shoes you would have also asked for an Aadhaar card. These days media people show themselves as secular."

When pointed out that the Constitution clearly says India is a secular nation, and whether they would either go by what they believe or what the Constitution states, he replied, " No, this country is not secular. This is the land of Sanatana dharma."

He raised objections to Muslims working at what he called Hindu areas along the Kanwar Yatra route.

"You tell me, who gave certificates to Muslims to put up boards in their shops showing gods and goddesses of Hindus, of Sanatana dharma?" he said.

To a question why they are doing something which is the exclusive domain of the police, he said, "We can raise our voices. We have a right to ask."

The controversy came a day after the UP government made it a must for all shops along the Kanwar Yatra route to have proper licences and clearly show the owner's original name. The Yogi Adityanath government has defended the move, with state minister Sanjay Nishad saying the accusation holds no weight.

"The party whose nameplate the public has torn down and thrown away, that party's words hold no weight... Our government makes decisions for the welfare of the public, which is why the public stands with us," Mr Nishad said.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said every buyer has a right to know from whom they are buying.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed the UP government over its directive.

"There are many hotels near the Muzaffarnagar bypass. These hotels have been there for years. Didn't the Kanwar Yatra start here 10 years ago? The Kanwar Yatra used to start peacefully. There was no unrest there. Why is all this happening now? Now, they are asking for Aadhaar cards from hoteliers. They are making shopkeepers remove their pants," he said.

The yatra is scheduled to start on June 10. In procession, Kanwariyas collect water from a river and carry it hundreds of kilometres to offer it to the shrines of Lord Shiva.

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