Muzaffarnagar: A hotel owner on the Delhi-Dehradun Highway has terminated the employment of four Muslim staff members, a decision that came after instructions from the Uttar Pradesh police related to a new government directive.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the directive mandates businesses along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners prominently. Lokesh Bharti, who owns Sakshi Hotel, alleged that the police instructed him specifically to dismiss his Muslim employees, which has led to significant backlash and accusations of discrimination from various political and community groups.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), and Samajwadi Party, have decried the firings as both an assault on India’s cultural values and a form of economic discrimination targeting Muslims. This controversy has prompted the Supreme Court to issue a temporary stay against the Muzaffarnagar Police’s enforcement of the nameplate directive.
The community remains on edge as the debate continues, with many awaiting further actions and statements from the authorities.