India, July 2 -- AIMIM chief and Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi has hit out at the Uttar Pradesh administration and police for allowing vigilante groups to harass hotel staff near Muzaffarnagar during the Kanwar Yatra, questioning why they are being allowed to operate as a "parallel government."

Referring to recent reports of men being forced to remove their pants to "prove their religion" along the Delhi-Dehradun highway, Owaisi said that areas like Baghonwali, Sarwat, and Bajheri near the Muzaffar Nagar bypass have seen peaceful pilgrimages for over a decade, but things have drastically changed.

"There are hotels in those villages that have been operating peacefully for years," he said. "Why is it that 10-11 years ago, there were no su...