Meat shops in Delhi to remain closed during Kanwar Yatra, says BJP MLA Kapil Mishra
He did not specify if the restrictions would apply only to establishments located along the pilgrimage route.
Meat shops in Delhi will remain closed during the Kanwar Yatra pilgrimage, which will take place from July 11 to July 23, said Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra on Monday, reported PTI.
The Cabinet minister in Delhi government did not specify whether the ban would only apply to meat shops that fall along the pilgrimage route.
“Most of these meat shops are illegal anyway and should not be operating as per law,” Mishra told reporters. “But during the Kanwar Yatra, they will be especially kept shut.”
During the Kanwar Yatra, devotees walk hundreds of kilometres to collect water from the Ganga near Haridwar and carry it back to their home states. They mainly come from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, BJP MLA from Jangpura Tarvinder Singh Marwah had written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting him to temporarily shut all liquor and meat shops along the Kanwar Yatra route in Delhi, The Hindu reported.
The MLA had said that a temporary ban on liquor and meat shops will “respect the sanctity of the Yatra” and prevent any possible “untoward incident”.
UP bans sale of meat along Kanwar route
In neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Adityanath has directed officials to ensure that no meat is sold along the Kanwar Yatra route in the state, the Deccan Herald reported. On June 26, the government also mandated that all eateries along the pilgrimage route must display the names of their owners.
Earlier this month, the Uttarakhand government issued a similar order, making it mandatory for food vendors to display their photo identity cards and shop license numbers, The New Indian Express reported. The directive applies to all food outlets, including large establishments and small roadside stalls.
According to the government directive, the measure is aimed at ensuring the “safety and purity” of food served to the devotees participating in the yatra.
Similar instructions were issued by the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand during the Kanwar Yatra in 2024. However, the Supreme Court had stayed the directives.
In July 2024, a Supreme Court bench issued notices to Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and other states where the Kanwar Yatra is observed. The court clarified that while food vendors and hawkers can be asked to display the type of food they are serving to the pilgrims, they cannot be directed to disclose their names.
Also read: Kanwar yatra food directive is unconstitutional – and the police know this
