The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in Gujarat on Monday decided to remove stalls selling non-vegetarian food items from the main roads, The Indian Express reported.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, however, claimed that the state government was not bothered about what people ate, calling the drive a move against road encroachments.

“Stalls selling non-vegetarian items will not be allowed along public roads and in the 100-meter radius of schools, colleges and religious places, Town Planning Committee of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has decided,” said Committee Chairperson Devang Dani, according to ANI.

Dani said the decision was taken as there were complaints of “bad smell” from morning walkers, those visiting religious spaces and “parents as these were leaving negative impact on minds of young children”, reported The Indian Express.

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Remove meat dishes from public display, Vadodara civic panel chief tells municipal officials

The decision came two days after the civic body’s Revenue Committee Chairperson Jainik Vakil wrote to the Municipal Commissioner and the Standing Committee seeking a ban on the sale of non-vegetarian food items on the streets, according to The Indian Express.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led civic administrations in Gujarat’s Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Junagadh have also taken measures to remove vendors selling non-vegetarian food items on the roadside. The civic authorities have instructed hawkers to either stop selling the non-vegertarian food items or cover them so that people do not have to look at them, according to The Hindu.

On November 11, the chairperson of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee in Gujarat verbally directed the civic body’s executive wing to remove meat-based foods from public display at roadside stalls and restaurants.

The instruction applies to street vendors and restaurants selling chicken, fish as well as eggs.

Before this, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation had verbally directed officials to remove vendors selling meat and egg dishes from the main roads. Rajkot Mayor Pradeep Dav said that he had asked officials to shift such vendors from major crossroads and from near temples.