Controversy Erupts Over Restaurant Name During Kanwar Yatra in Uttar Pradesh

During the Kanwar Yatra, the Uttar Pradesh government mandated that restaurant owners display their names and food safety licenses. This led to the emergence of another alleged fraud case in Moradabad district, where a restaurant named 'Neelkanth Family Dhaba' was found to be owned by a person named Sharafat Hussain. This incident follows a similar case in Muzaffarnagar that sparked political controversy and anger among devotees. The Neelkanth Dhaba is located on the Moradabad-Lucknow highway, within the jurisdiction of the Mundapande police station. The revelation came during an inspection conducted by the food safety department.

The Moradabad-Lucknow highway serves as a crucial route for the annual Kanwar Yatra, where devotees travel on foot to Bareilly. As part of a special inspection initiative, the assistant commissioner and their team utilized the Food Safety Connect app to verify the authenticity and hygiene of roadside eateries and hotels. During this operation, they inspected the restaurant and discovered it was operating under a misleading name. The actual owner turned out to be Sharafat, the son of a man named Chhutten.

When officials arrived at the dhaba and requested its license, they found it registered under the name Neelkanth Family Dhaba, a name associated with Lord Shiva. However, the owner's name was revealed to be Sharafat Hussain. Upon being questioned about the discrepancy, he quickly pleaded with the officials, stating he would change the name. Following this revelation, the assistant commissioner took action as per Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directives and issued a strict notice to the dhaba operator. A sticker displaying the owner's true identity was affixed to the premises via the Food Safety Connect app. Assistant Commissioner Rajvansh Srivastava stated, "The dhaba is registered, and the sticker has been placed. The name is Neelkanth, but the owner is Sharafat. He has been instructed to either change the name or shut down the dhaba."