Mayawati questions U.P. govt's food safety move, calls it electoral politics

Mayawati criticizes UP government for mandatory display of eatery owners' names, calling it electoral politics over food safety.

Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati on Thursday (September 26, 2024) slammed the U.P. government’s directive to display names and addresses of eatery operators, proprietors, and managers, saying it was more about electoral politics than food safety.

Citing incidents of spitting and mixing of urine in eatables in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday (September 24, 2024) directed that the name and address of operators, proprietors, and managers should be mandatorily displayed at all food centres.

He also directed that chefs and waiters should wear masks and gloves, besides making installation of CCTV cameras in hotels and restaurants mandatory.

“The UP government's announcement of making it compulsory to install cameras along with the name and address of the owners and manager in hotels, restaurants, dhabas etc. is similar to the action taken during the Kanwar Yatra, sparking discussions that this is less about food safety and more about diverting public’s attention through electoral politics,” Mayawati said in a post on X in Hindi.

Earlier in the year, the Muzaffarnagar police had asked all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of owners of eateries, which the Uttar Pradesh government later extended across the state.

Besides the two State governments, the BJP-ruled Ujjain Municipal Corporation had also issued a similar order.

In her post on X, the BSP chief said that although there are already very strict laws regarding adulteration especially in food items, still due to the government’s negligence, the market of adulteration is “flourishing” everywhere. "Will the black business of adulteration end by forcibly getting people's names written on shops etc?" she posted.