Nothing wrong in UP police diktat to display names of shopkeepers: Manjhi

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday asserted that he saw "nothing wrong" with fruit sellers along the 'Kanwar Yatra' route in Uttar Pradesh being asked to display their names at their stalls.

Manjhi was responding to journalists' questions about the controversial UP police directive, which has faced criticism from the opposition and some BJP allies, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).

Manjhi, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha, said, "I cannot speak for other parties, but I see nothing wrong with such an order. What is the harm if people involved in businesses are asked to display their names and addresses prominently?"

"In fact, such display only makes it easy for buyers to spot a favourite stall. It is wrong to view the episode through the prism of religion", said Manjhi, who made his parliamentary debut, at a ripe age of 79, in the recent elections.

Manjhi's stance on the issue differs