Only Meat Shops Near Temples to Stay Close During Navratri as Ghaziabad Municipality Revises Ban

The Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) has revised its order banning the sale of meat during the Hindu festival of Navratri. 

Earlier, the GMC had banned the sale of raw meat from April 2 to April 10 in the whole district in view of Navratri. However, on Saturday, the GMC said they have restricted the ban on meat sale within the radius of 250 metres of any temple, the Times of India reported. 

Issuing the new order, Ghaziabad Mayor Asha Sharma said all the rules and regulations under the Uttar Pradesh government will be followed and there was no ban on all meat shops, but only the ones near temples. Sharma told TOI that the GMC decided to close all meat shops near the temple areas as Hindus on their way to temples during Navratri found it uncomfortable to see meat being sold in the open. 

Newsclick has previously reported on the ban of meat sale. According to the officials this “meat ban during the festival is a routine order.” The previous order said the mayor had directed to maintain cleanliness in temples and close meat shops during the Navratri period.

According to the TOI report, every year. Nandkishor Gujjar, the Loni MLA, writes a letter to the administration urging them to close all meat shops in his area. This time around too, he wrote a similar letter and reportedly made a request to even ban non-vegetarian dishes in restaurants during Navratri. 

In March, Gujjar the re-elected MLA of Loni, decided to target those who sell meat,  “I want the officials to understand, not a single meat shop should be visible in Loni… There is Ram Rajya [rule of Hindu god Ram] here in Loni. Have you ever seen a meat shop in Ram Rajya? Just consume milk and ghee, and if you don't have a cow I will send you one." Most meat shops here are owned by Muslims, though the customers come from across the religious spectrum. 

This year, Navratri and Ramadan began on the same day. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn to sunset for 30 days. Chaitra Navratri is devoted to Goddess Durga and marks the first day of the Hindu calendar.