The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Thursday raised the demand for a crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses across Jharkhand. VHP’s Bihar and Jharkhand chief Pramod Mishra told IANS that all slaughterhouses running without a valid licence should be sealed. He also wants beef ban in the state like in Maharashtra.

Although cow slaughter has been banned in Jharkhand since 2005, Mishra believes it has not been implemented properly. “BJP President Amit Shah has fulfilled his promise in Uttar Pradesh by ensuring closure of illegal slaughterhouses. When will the abattoirs in Jharkhand be closed?” he asked.

The VHP chief also pointed out that both Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand are BJP-ruled states but “their chief ministers are functioning differently”.

Mishra also alleged that cattle smuggling, including that of cows, was rampant across Jharkhand. He accused Chief Minister Raghubar Das of being oblivious to such activities. “In Jharkhand, cattle smuggling worth more than Rs 300 crore is taking place. The cattle of the state are smuggled to Bangladesh,” alleged Mishra.

The right-wing body’s demand comes in line with the new diktat from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath. After he assumed office on March 19, Adityanath had directed the police to begin closing down illegal slaughterhouses across the state. He also ordered a blanket ban on the smuggling of cows in Uttar Pradesh.

On March 21, three meat shops owned by members of the Muslim community in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, were set ablaze, allegedly by a mob. A number of establishments operating without licences have shut down or been sealed by the government ever since.

The century-old Tunday Kababi in Lucknow was the latest victim of the crackdown on Wednesday. The establishment at Akbari Gate remained shut because of a scarcity of buffalo meat in the state capital.