WATCH: How US Responds To Pak Journalist's Question On Kanwar Yatra Directives In India

The United States on Wednesday weighed in on the directives affecting eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route in two Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand which has led to a legal battle in India’s Supreme Court.

Responding to queries from a Pakistani journalist during a press conference here, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stressed that the rules are currently not in effect due to an interim stay issued by the Supreme Court. “We have noted the reports regarding the directives and the subsequent interim stay issued by the Indian Supreme Court,” US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

“As such, these rules are not currently in effect.” He reiterated the US commitment to promoting and protecting freedom of religion globally, highlighting ongoing engagements with Indian authorities to uphold equal treatment for all religious communities. The topic of religious freedom has long been contentious between India and the US, with New Delhi often rebuking the State Department’s assessments as biased.

On Monday, the apex court ordered an interim stay on the directives by the two BJP-ruled states asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners, the staff and other details. The Opposition claimed that the move was intended to promote religious discrimination. A bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti, however, said eateries may be required to display the kind of food they are serving like they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday claimed that the Supreme Court’s interim stay on the directive for eateries on the kanwar yatra route to display their owners’ names has “demotivated” the Hindu community.  The VHP is “confident that the basic human right or the statutory rights of every community, including the Hindu pilgrims and the kanwar yatris, will be duly understood and protected by the honourable Supreme Court when it hears the case on the next date,” Bagda added.