In his first reaction on the matter, RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary, a minister in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, on Sunday said the controversial order issued by the Uttar Pradesh BJP government regarding eateries and food stalls on Kanwar Yatra routes in the state was neither a 'well-thought' decision nor 'well-thought'.

He told news agency ANI, “No decision should harm the well-being of the community and the spirit of harmony. Those who go on the Kanwar Yatra and those who serve them are all the same. This tradition has been going on since the beginning…no one cares who is serving them.” “Identifying and pointing out people, I do not understand this,” the Union minister said.

Under this order, it is mandatory for eateries and food shops located on the Kanwar Yatra route to display the name of the owners. Opposition parties as well as BJP's allies in the NDA, including the RLD, have criticised the order. The order was first issued by the Muzaffarnagar police in Uttar Pradesh; after strong criticism, the district administration made displaying the name a 'voluntary' decision.

However, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has implemented this directive across the state, and has refused to make any changes to it despite protests. On Saturday, former Bihar Chief Minister and BJP ally and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi expressed his support for this directive.