New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has voiced strong criticism over the Uttar Pradesh government's directive for food shops on the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names, and urged leaders to prioritize development over divisive issues.
Sibal emphasized that the ongoing debates around the yatra are detracting from India's progress and called on the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Ministers to refrain from using such matters for political gain.
In his remarks, Sibal highlighted the pressing economic and political challenges faced by the country, noting that these issues overshadow more critical concerns like unemployment.
"The politics that is happening on the Kanwar Yatra is not going to take India towards becoming Viksit Bharat. The Prime Minister, Home Minister and Chief Ministers should not raise such issues...The common man has nothing to do with these issues...Such issues will later be raised in Parliament, and issues of economic and political challenges, will not be discussed there," Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said while addressing a press conference on Saturday.
Highlighting the government's "negligence" towards unemployment situation in the country, Sibal pointed to a recent job opening in Uttar Pradesh that attracted 47 lakh applications for just 60,000 positions.
"I would like to especially tell the CMs of UP and Uttarakhand to stop this. Kanwar Yatra has happened before as well. Those who are on the Yatra know everything, where to eat and where not to eat," he said. (with Agency inputs)