East Delhi Mayor bats for closure of meat shops during Navratri; 'would promote harmony'

A day after announcing that meat shops in the national capital will be closed during Navratri celebrations, East Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Shyam Sundar Agarwal has claimed that the move would promote harmony. While speaking to ANI, Mayor Agarwal stated he had appealed to meat vendors to understand Hindu sentiments and close their shops.

East Delhi Mayor Shyam Sundar Agarwal said, "As of now, it's an appeal. We don't consume even onion-garlic during Navratri. So, I have appealed to all meat sellers to understand Hindu sentiments and close their shops on those days. It'll promote harmony," ANI reported.

"So, this is my appeal to them. But besides this, we have a rule that slaughterhouses won't function on Saptami, Ashtami and the day of Navratri. If slaughterhouses will be closed, meat will not be sold," he added. 

Earlier on Monday, April 4, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation had announced that no meat shop will be allowed to open in the region during the Navratri festivals. While making the announcement, South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor, Mukesh Suryan had said, "During Navratri, 99% of households in Delhi don't even use garlic and onion, so we've decided that no meat shops will be open in South MCD."

He stated that the decision will be implemented starting April 5. Notably, South MCD will also be imposing fines on the violators. The closure of shops shall be implemented from April 2 to 11, during the course of nine days of the Navratri Festival. The South MCD further noted that they have taken the decision keeping in mind the ‘sentiments of the public.’

“Moreover, some meat shops dump waste in gutters or beside the road, which the stray dogs feed on. It is not only unhygienic but also an appalling sight for passersby. Such events can be restricted if the meat shops are closed down during the period of the Navratri festival in the area under the jurisdiction of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the closing of meat shops near temples is also necessary to maintain cleanliness around temples,” the statement read.

On April 2, a similar directive was pronounced by the Mayor of Ghaziabad. On Saturday, Mayor Asha Sharma issued an amendment stating that retailers must follow the Uttar Pradesh government's orders. The Aligarh panchayat has also ordered the closure of meat shops during Navratri. For the unversed, Navratri is a nine-day Hindu festival that began on April 2 and will end on April 11.