The mayors of South and East Delhi had called for the closure of meat shops under the jurisdiction of their respective municipal corporations during Navratri. However, despite no official order, many meat shop owners in these areas of the national capital kept their shops closed for fear of action by the authorities.
New Delhi: Several meat shops in East and South Delhi remained closed on Tuesday following verbal orders from the mayors of South and East Delhi, while no such official order was issued regarding the closure of shops.
The mayors of South and East Delhi had called for the closure of meat shops under the jurisdiction of their respective municipal corporations during Navratri.
Following the statements of the mayors, many meat shop owners in these areas of the national capital kept their shops closed for fear of action by the authorities.
Mayors of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) have called for the closure of these shops during the nine-day festival, but there has been no such statement from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). , where like the other two municipal corporations, the BJP is ruled by the same.
‘No need to open meat shops’
East Delhi Mayor Shyam Sundar Agarwal claimed that 90 per cent people do not eat non-vegetarian food during Navratri.
His South Delhi counterpart, Mayor Mukesh Suryan, said there was no need to open meat shops during Navratri as most people do not consume meat during this time.
Suryan told on Tuesday, ‘Most of the meat shops were closed today. Most people do not eat meat, onion and garlic during Navratri, so keeping in mind the sentiments of the public, there is no need to open meat shops during Navratri. An order in this regard will be issued today.
During Navratri, 99% of households in Delhi don’t even use garlic & onion, so we’ve decided that no meat shops will be open in South MCD; the decision will be implemented from tomorrow. Fine will be imposed on violators: Mukkesh Suryaan, Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation pic.twitter.com/zGCw3dOW4R
— ANI (@ANI) April 4, 2022
Suryan’s statement that 99 percent people in Delhi do not use onion and garlic during Navratri. Various reactions were seen on social media regarding this.
Suryan, in a letter to SDMC commissioner Gyanesh Bharti on Monday, had said that people’s religious beliefs and sentiments get hurt when people come to meat shops or smell meat while going to temples to worship Goddess Durga.
He had said that meat shops would not be allowed to open from Tuesday to April 11 (end of Navratri). He asked the Municipal Commissioner to ensure that his instructions are followed.
Keeping in mind the religious sentiments of the Hindu community, Agarwal had asked meat shops to be closed during Navratri.
“I held a meeting with senior officials and appealed to the businessmen to keep the meat shops closed during Navratri or at least during the last three days of the festival keeping in mind the religious sentiments of the people,” he said.
The mayor of East Delhi said that Ghazipur slaughterhouse is closed every year for the last three days of Navratri and this year it will remain closed from April 8-10.
Aggarwal claimed, ‘It means that if anyone is selling meat (of buffalo or goat) during this period, it will either be stale or animals must have been slaughtered illegally so I have ordered that such traders 16 teams should be constituted to keep a close watch on him and action should be taken accordingly.
“According to the situation, action will include confiscation of meat or challaning or cancellation of license or sealing of shops,” he said.
Meat shops closed for fear of action
Fearing action from the administration, meat shops in many markets of South Delhi, including INA and Jor Bagh, remained closed on Tuesday.
There are around 40 meat shops in INA market and some shop owners say that the decision to keep the shops closed was taken after the remarks of SDMC Mayor Suryan.
Sanjay Kumar, manager of Bombay Fish Shop, said, “The meat shops in INA market have been closed for fear of action by the authorities. On Monday, the SDMC Mayor announced in the media that strict action would be taken against those opening shops during Navratri. We have decided to close our shops for today. It has been decided to keep the shops closed till Navratri.
Kamal, a co-owner of the Pigpo Meat shop in Jor Bagh, said he had opened the shop in the morning but decided to close it after knowing about the mayor’s statement.
Kamal said, we opened the shop in the morning, but when we came to know that shops in the nearby markets were closed, we closed it.
This is the first time that the municipal corporations have asked the meat shops in their respective jurisdictions to be closed during Navratri. This time Navratri is from 2-11 April.
BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, after sharp reactions on the matter on social media, said that such a ban should be imposed throughout the country during Navratri.
Verma is known for his remarks against Muslims. During the 2019 Shaheen Bagh protest against CAA, Parvesh Verma had called the Shaheen Bagh protesters rapists and murderers.
During Ramzan we don’t eat between sunrise & sunset. I suppose it’s OK if we ban every non-Muslim resident or tourist from eating in public, especially in the Muslim dominated areas. If majoritarianism is right for South Delhi, it has to be right for J&K. https://t.co/G5VQylmMvB
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 5, 2022
Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, while targeting the SDMC mayor, tweeted, “During Ramzan we don’t eat between sunrise and sunset. I think it would be okay if we ban every non-Muslim resident or tourist from eating in public, especially in Muslim-majority areas. If majoritarianism is right for South Delhi, it should be true for Jammu and Kashmir as well.
I live in South Delhi.
The Constitution allows me to eat meat when I like and the shopkeeper the freedom to run his trade.Full stop.
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) April 6, 2022
Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra also tweeted against the decision to close meat shops on Navratri and said, ‘I live in South Delhi. The constitution allows me to eat meat whenever I want and allows shopkeepers to run business. It’s over.
I’m a Hindu & eat non-veg almost daily. Didn’t know what Navratri is before I came to Delhi. Ban on meat shops during Navratri is ridiculous in a democracy, where 70 per cent are non-veg. Even in Delhi. I’m no less Hindu for consuming non veg during Navratri. pic.twitter.com/zXF2QmBDk4
— Kaushik Deka (@KDscribe) April 5, 2022
There are many Muslims who can’t afford online meat shopping at Licious etc.
For their iftar requirements they would depend on neighborhood meat shops.
Meat ban will hit them most.— Rana Safvi رعنا Rana (@iamrana) April 4, 2022
South Delhi has proved that more than being classy and hip, it’s communal.
I live in South Delhi and I am ashamed of this illogical act. #meatban— Rakhi Tripathi (@rakhitripathi) April 5, 2022
Social media users have tweeted their views on this matter and most people have called it ridiculous.
(with input from news agency language)
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