‘Hindu Sentiments’: Gurugram Meat Shops to Not Open on Tuesdays

The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) on Thursday, 18 March, passed a proposal to close all meat shops in the area on Tuesdays.

Further, as per media reports, the MCG also approved proposals to double the licence fee for meat shops from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. Further, the penalty for running such shops illegally has now been hiked by 10 times, going from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000.

Grounds?

As per The Indian Express, the MCG agenda only pertained to an increase in license fee and clamp down on illegal meat shops. However, the decision to ban sale of meat on Tuesdays was made after some councillors gave such suggestions, on grounds of “Hindu sentiments”.

Further, according to The Indian Express, Mayor Madhu Azad to gave her nod to the suggestion, saying: “They are completely right, we are all agreed that meat shops remain closed on Tuesdays.”

MCG Commissioner Objects

MCG Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh had, however, raised his objection to the proposal, on grounds that “food is an independent choice”.

“In my opinion, this is an individual choice. I eat, my wife doesn’t eat, it is independent. I cannot force her and she cannot force me… When we cannot decide on this at home itself, the House should think before making any decision regarding the entire city.”   

MCG Commissioner   

More Details

The decision to double the licence fee, as well as to hike the penalty was arrived at after a heated discussion, as per media reports.

Some councillors, as per The Indian Express, had even demanded a licence fee as high as Rs 50,000.

After the meeting, Singh informed:

“In the meeting, along with increasing the fees for sale of meat licence, the penalty imposed on those selling meat illegally was also increased. Along with this, shops that are penalised three times will be sealed. If the owners are found to have broken the seal, an FIR will be filed against them.”   

Further MCG Chief Medical Officer (CMO) informed at the meeting that MCG had started granting licences to meat shops in 2017, in which year they issued 129 licenses.

Further, he said that after March 2018, they have no issued any new licence.

(With inputs from The Indian Express.)