The Politics of Humiliation: How Hate is Being Normalized in Uttar Pradesh

Greetings. My name is Naveen Kumar. Apologies if this offends, but it must be said: the Prime Minister of this country, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and numerous BJP leaders are now deeply involved in the politics of public humiliation. If that’s not the case, then why is a thug like Yashveer still roaming free? Though he calls himself “Swami Yashveer,” in reality, he is nothing but a goon. This vulture of Hinduism is tearing apart the Constitution while Modi and Yogi seem to enjoy the spectacle.

Has the BJP become a haven for those who humiliate, harass, and intimidate others in the name of religion? If not, why hasn’t Yashveer been arrested yet?

Who is Yashveer?

On June 28, Yashveer, along with his followers, arrived at a roadside eatery in Muzaffarnagar. He suspected the owner was Muslim but running the establishment under a Hindu name. Before delving deeper, let’s look at some background: Last year, on July 7, 2024, Muzaffarnagar police issued an order for the Kanwar Yatra route, requiring all shop owners to display their names and contact numbers prominently. This unconstitutional order was designed to marginalize Muslims, disrupt their livelihoods, and open the door for thugs to take over their businesses.

The real intentions became clear when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath enforced this order statewide on July 9. The matter reached the Supreme Court, which harshly criticized the government for this move. However, nothing substantial changed.

The Dangerous Season Returns

Now, as the Kanwar Yatra season returns, so does the climate of fear—where beatings, overturned vehicles, and harassment of shopkeepers become routine. During this time, people like Yashveer act as self-appointed enforcers.

At the eatery named “Pandit Ji Vaishnav Dhaba,” Yashveer demanded to check the owner’s identity, questioning their religion and origin. He and his followers went so far as to force an employee to remove his pants to “prove” his religious identity, filming the incident and spreading the video online.

Who Gave Them the Right?

Who is Yashveer to check anyone’s identity? Has wearing saffron or religious symbols given anyone the right to demand Aadhaar cards, driving licenses, or bank details from citizens? Under what law is it forbidden for a Muslim to name their restaurant “Ram Bharose” or for a Hindu to name a hospital “Al Shifa”? Why can’t a Muslim name their child Krishna, or a Hindu name their child Kabir or Rahim?

But for Yashveer and his ilk, mere ID checks aren’t enough. They resort to public humiliation to assert dominance and spread fear.

Constitutional Rights Trampled

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to live with dignity. This includes the right to food, healthcare, clothing, worship, education, employment without discrimination, privacy, and self-respect. Forcing someone to remove their clothes to check their religious identity is a blatant violation of these rights.

Despite the police being fully aware of the incident, they only issued notices to 17 people and did not even summon Yashveer for questioning, let alone arrest him. This raises the question: Has Yashveer become greater than the Supreme Court and the Constitution? Is this tacitly accepted by the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister?

A Pattern of Complicity

Such incidents are meant to polarize and poison the atmosphere. The police appear complicit, perhaps because this “politics of humiliation” serves the interests of those in power. Yashveer openly declared that Muslims cannot run eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route, and the government surrendered to this unconstitutional demand.

This campaign began in 2023, when Yashveer, who runs a yoga ashram, started targeting Muslim-owned eateries with Hindu names. Shockingly, instead of stopping this vigilantism, the administration joined in, requiring all businesses to display identity posters.

Impact on Livelihoods

In western Uttar Pradesh, many eateries along the Kanwar route are run in partnership between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs. Muslims often own the land but lack the capital or management experience, so they partner with non-Muslims. In Muzaffarnagar, where Muslims make up about 41% of the population (80% of whom are poor), such orders have led to widespread job losses for Muslim cooks and workers, many of whom have been fired or left out of fear.

Where Does This End?

This dangerous situation enjoys the silent consent of the highest offices. If the government truly opposed such politics, bulldozers would have already demolished the homes of Yashveer and others like him. Imagine the uproar if a Muslim cleric had done the same to a Hindu.

This is the reality of “politics of humiliation” in India today. If you haven’t yet subscribed to Article 19 India, please do so, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.