New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) Congress party on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s interim stay on the ‘nameplate’ display order along the Kanwar Yatra route in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand and said that the Apex Court has rightly halted the ‘communal’ agenda of BJP-led governments.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, in a video message, said, "We are very happy that the SC has given such a strong order and I hope that the Prime Minister makes his Chief Ministers aware of their Raj Dharma.”

“We welcome the stay given by SC on the unconstitutional and illegal orders by Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and MP, where they asked eatery owners to display nameplates outside their shops,” he further stated.

The Supreme Court, hearing a batch of petitions on the ‘eatery name display’ directives by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments, stayed the orders, till further hearing. The Apex court also issued notices to UP, Uttarakhand and MP governments and fixed July 26 as the next date of hearing.

The SC observed that the directives by state governments are contrary to constitutional and legal norms as prevalent in the country.

The halt to the ‘eateries name display’ order in BJP-ruled states triggered reactions from many parties. Most of the Opposition parties had decried these orders, issued a week ago and called it 'biased, lopsided and driven by malice'.

Pawan Khera also appealed to the PM in his video message and asked him to ensure that his Chief Ministers don't indulge in passing such unconstitutional orders.

KC Tyagi, JD (U) spokesperson, told newsmen that he welcomes the SC order as "such decisions create division and rift in the society.” He however added that there should be a ban on shops selling non-vegetarian food on the Kanwar Yatra route.”

Imran Pratapgarhi, Congress MP, said that the Supreme Court's stay on the UP government’s directive sends out a clear message that the country will be run as per laws laid in the Constitution and not on the basis of the state governments’ diktats.

“BJP governments are unnerved over Rahul’s Mohabbat ki dukaan and hence are resorting to such tactics for dividing the communities on sectarian lines,” he further said.

Notably, the controversy broke out after Muzaffarnagar Police asked the owners of dhabas, eateries, and food outlets to display the names of their owners and staff members outside their shops to avoid ‘confusion’ for the Kanwar Yatris, along the Yatra route. This was later extended all across the state and also in adjoining states Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.