Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Mahua Moitra and Saket Gokhale, on Wednesday, 6 April, criticised the meat ban in parts of Delhi during Navratri. South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Mayor Mukkesh Suryaan, in a letter to the commissioner, had asked the meat shops in the area to shut down till 11 April as it made devotees "uncomfortable" during Navratri.
Slamming the ban on the sale of meat in the national capital, TMC MP Mahua Moitra said that the Constitution granted freedom to citizens to consume meat whenever they wanted to and gave shopkeepers who sold meat the freedom to run their businesses.
Several meat shops remained shut on Wednesday after the mayors of south and east Delhi, on 4 April, pushed for the ban on the sale of meat during the nine-day Hindu festival, saying that devotees were "uncomfortable" with the sight of meat in the open.
Moitra tweeted on Wednesday,
"I live in South Delhi. The Constitution allows me to eat meat when I like and the shopkeeper the freedom to run his trade."
There, however, has been no official order from civic bodies yet. Fearing action by officials, several meat shops remained closed as both the mayors had declared that fines would be imposed on violators.
Delhi Is Not Gotham City: TMC Spokesperson
Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale wrote a letter to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to revoke its earlier "illegal" order on the meat ban in the district. He tweeted, "Delhi isn't Gotham City. Mayor has no executive powers to shut shops."
The letter dated 6 April said, "The mayor does not wield any executive power and the current forced shutting down of meat shops in South Delhi is completely and absolutely illegal. Not taking action against unconstitutional prohibitions that deprive people of life and livelihood is a crime of omission conducted by your office while being in complete knowledge of the illegal 'ban' declared by the mayor without the backing of any authority."
It added,
"You’re requested to immediately issue a circular announcing that there is NO BAN on opening of meat shops or selling of meat in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation area and that the mayor’s oral orders are invalid by law."
Mayors' Orders
SDMC Mayor Mukkesh Suryaan, in a letter to the commissioner, had asked the meat shops in the area to shut down till 11 April as it made devotees "uncomfortable".
Further, he also said that the "foul smell" from meat shops made devotees who were passing by feel uneasy. He also added that the shops were unhygienic. Because of these reasons, he sought to shut all meat shops between 2-11 April during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri.
Later, East Delhi Mayor Shyam Sundar Agarwal and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma extended their support to the controversial ban on meat.
Repeating the same, Agarwal stated that Hindus didn't even consume onion and garlic during Navratri and claimed that he had appealed to all meat sellers to understand the sentiments of Hindu devotees and close their shops on those days.
"It will promote harmony," he said.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)