Use QR codes to know vendors' identity, devotees told

UP KANWAR YATRA ROW

- BISWAJEET BANERJEE

MEERUT: As saffron-clad Shiva devotees pour into Uttar Pradesh for the annual Kanwar Yatra, a new identity-linked measure—encouraging QR code payments to trace the ownership of shops and eateries—has triggered a storm of political controversy, accusations of communal profiling, and legal scrutiny.

Under the Yogi Adityanath-led government's directives, eateries and food stalls along the 540-km-long Kanwar route, stretching from Meerut to Muzaffarnagar, are being asked to display the names and contact details of their owners. The BJP's justification: when QR codes are used for payments, the name of the account holder appears, helping pilgrims "identify" who is running the establishment.

"We are not targeting any religion, but pilgrims have the right to know who is cooking their food. QR codes help ensure transparency," said BJP spokesperson Sanjay Chaudhry. He added, "This is about Hindu pride and food purity during a religious pilgrimage."