"No Communal Overtone": Himachal Minister Over Eateries' Nameplate Row

Himachal Pradesh Minister Vikramaditya Singh met Congress state in-charge Rajiv Shukla and general secretary in-charge organisation KC Venugopal in Delhi today, a day after the party distanced itself from his remarks that eateries in the state will now have to display the names of owners and staff.

Mr Singh, while speaking exclusively to NDTV, denied being summoned by the Congress leadership and stressed that his remarks had "no communal overtones".

"I was not called by anybody. I am a loyal soldier of the party. Whenever I come to Delhi, I meet the leadership here and apprise them of the work that the organisation and the government are doing in Himachal. It's a routine affair," he said.

Earlier, Mr Shukla said that the matter sprang from the state assembly speaker forming a committee to designate specific areas for street vendors, including those selling food and other items.

"They will be given licences and regulated so that police do not harass them. The designated places will require identification such as Aadhaar cards and licences but there is no requirement for them to display a sign stating their name as the owner," he said.

Vikramaditya Singh said that while people from all parts of the country are welcome in Himachal Pradesh, it is the state government's duty to address the "apprehensions" of the people.

"People from all parts of the country and walks of life are welcome in Himachal Pradesh, from all religions, castes and regions. But as a state, it is our responsibility to maintain law and order. We have to address the apprehension of the people of the state," the 34-year-old said.

Insisting that his remarks had no communal overtones, the Himachal urban development minister told NDTV, "It is our responsibility to have vending zones across the country with registration certificates, whether its Aadhaar card, GST number or anything else. So there's no communal overtones to any of it. Every state does it for their own security," Mr Singh said.

"I am standing my ground that the interest of the people of Himachal Pradesh is our top-most priority," he added.

Mr Singh said on Thursday that the decision for eateries and their shops to display the names of owners - an order issued by Uttar Pradesh during the Kanwar Yatra earlier this year - has been taken to maintain the 'internal security' of the state.

Mr Singh said the decision was taken considering "apprehensions" expressed by several locals about the rising numbers of migrants in the state.

The state government, however, later said that no such decision had been taken after Mr Singh's announcement drew flak.

Mr Singh's remark presented a conundrum for his party as it had earlier vehemently opposed the "display nameplate" diktat for eateries on the route of Kanwar Yatra by BJP-led Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments.

Senior BJP leader and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur criticised the state government led by Sukhvinder Sukhu for first ordering the implementation of the street vendor policy and then revoking it.

He claimed the rule was being opposed "because it is the (Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) Yogi model". "It is condemnable that the Sukhu government is withdrawing the action. This rule has been in place since the previous government. registration and various types of regulations, which were stopped by the Sukhu government as soon as it came to power.