'No need to open meat shops as 'most people' don't eat non-veg during Navaratri'

South Delhi Mayor Mukesh Suryan on Tuesday said there was no need to open meat shops during Navaratri claiming that most people do not consume nonvegetarian food during this period even as the move has triggered sharp reactions on social mediaWhile no official order has been issued so far Suryan in a letter to SDMC Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti on Monday had said that religious beliefs and sentiments of devotees are affected when they come across meat shops or have to bear the foul smell of meat on their way to offer daily prayers to goddess Durga during NavratriMeat shops will not be allowed to open from Tuesday during Navratra till April 11 he had said and asked the municipal commissioner to ensure strict adherence of his directivesMost of the meat shops were closed today Most people do not eat meat oniongarlic during Navratra time So keeping in view the religious sentiments of the public there is no need to open meat shops during the Navratra festival An order in this regard will be issued today Suryan told PTI on TuesdayTuesday is considered an auspicious day by a majority of sections of the community and several meat shops are generally closed on this day of the week The Navratra period is from April 211 when the faithful observe fast and largely eat satvik foodAt the INA Market in central Delhi several meat shops were closed on Tuesday with some traders claiming that shutters were downed due to a perceived order on closure of meat shopsHowever no official order has been issued by civic authorities so farNo such move has been made by civic bodies in North Delhi or East DelhiA senior NDMC official said I have not come across any such proposal relating to the North Delhi Municipal CorporationMd Saleem general secretary Ghazipur Murga Mandi said meat shops are closed today as per their usual schedule Any impact of mayors move will be clear by 9 am tomorrow only he saidThe mayors decision has triggered a controversy with many taking to Twitter and other social media platforms to questions the moveShiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted Being a vegetarian no egg no onion eater I respect the eating choices of others so please dont carry your motivated agenda in our names or on our behalf Thank youBeing a vegetarian no egg no onion eater I respect the eating choices of others so please donrsquot carry your motivated agenda in our names or on our behalf Thank you httpstcoV2h24HI6Oxmdash Priyanka Chaturvedi priyankac19 April 5 2022Many commoners also protested such a move by the South Delhis mayor in a democratic countryMukesh Suryan Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation SDMC on his recommendation to shut meat shops in Delhi during Navratri Mukesh Suryan should know that India is a secular country not a Hindu state So stop your saffron mindset of hatred and nonsense alleged user thisismalik on TwitterUser Rabindersingh also questioned the claim of the mayor Incorrect figures Just about 5037 of the households dont use onion and garlic Everyone doesnt fast either SDMC needs some better issues to tackle rather than enforcing impractical laws What if one gets meat and alcohol from another Municipal domain within the cityAnother user t_d_h_nair wrote on Twitter Im a Hindu I live in South Delhi My sentiments are not hurt when meat shops are open or when my fellow Hindus and people from other religions eat nonveg during Navratri South Delhis mayor from the BJP is conflating his political ideology with the beliefs of HindusThis is not the first time such a controversy has been stoked over selling of meatIn December 2020 the SDMC had cleared a proposal that asked restaurants or shops to mandatorily display whether the meat being sold or served was cut using the halal or jhatka methodJhatka method is one in which an animal is slaughtered in one go while in the halal method an animal is allowed to die after cutting a veinThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever