The United States said that it was aware of the controversial directives in two Indian states for eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route but asserted that those rules were not actually in effect following an interim stay by the Supreme Court.

Responding to a Pakistani journalist who raised the issue, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said it had engaged with Indian counterparts on the importance of equal treatment for members of all religions.

"We have seen those reports. We have also seen the reports that the Indian Supreme Court on July 22 issued an interim stay on the implementation of those rules. So they are not actually in effect," Miller said.

"We are always committed to promoting and protecting universal respect for the right of freedom of religion and belief for all anywhere in the world. We have engaged with our Indian counterparts on the importance of equal treatment for members of all religions," he further said.

Over the years, the topic of religious freedom has been a bone of contention between India and the US. On several occasions, India has called the US State Department's report on religious freedom biased.

On Monday, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered an interim stay on the directives in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners' names.

While issuing a notice to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, the court said eateries might be required to display the kind of food they are serving.

The Uttar Pradesh government's move drew criticism from the Opposition as well as the BJP's allies at the Centre. The opposition said the order was a bid to create economic disparity between Hindu and Muslim shop owners.

Source: India Today