The Delhi government will crack down on “illegal” meat sellers, particularly those operating on streets, ahead of Chaitra Navratri, Public Works Department (PWD) minister Parvesh Verma announced in the Assembly on Thursday.
His remarks came in response to BJP MLA Karnail Singh, who raised concerns about meat being sold “openly on footpaths” before the nine-day festival.
“Navratri is approaching, and the sale of meat in public spaces in Delhi hurts our sentiments. Many shops operate without licenses. I urge the minister to immediately shut down all meat shops running on footpaths,” Singh said during Question Hour.
Verma assured action, stating that officials had already been directed to close such establishments. “All illegal meat and fish sellers occupying public spaces will be removed,” he said, urging MLAs to report encroachments in their constituencies. “I will personally oversee the action,” he added.
Under Section 415 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, it is mandatory to obtain a licence from the civic body before opening any meat shop or meat processing plant. A municipal officials say that no live slaughtering of animals or birds is allowed in shops and meat can only be procured from the Ghazipur slaughterhouse. “The policy also has restrictions on the minimum distance of 150m of a meat shop from a religious place or cremation ground,” the official explained. To be sure, a general trade license is also required, which covers more than 463 types of general trades in the city.
Later, talking to HT, Singh defended his demand, linking it to the BJP’s outreach efforts. “Under PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ initiative, the BJP is distributing special Eid kits among Muslims. They should also respect our religious sentiments. Closing meat shops for a week won’t cause any harm. Anyway, it’s Eid-ul-Fitr; they should celebrate by eating sewai,” he said.
Singh’s remarks came days after Patparganj MLA Ravinder Singh Negi urged meat shops near temples in his constituency to remain closed on Tuesdays and during Navratri.
Negi said he will write to the district administration seeking closures, arguing that the presence of meat shops near temples offends devotees. “Many residents have complained to me. Navratri comes only twice a year; these shops should remain shut during this period,” he said. He also claimed that several shops in his constituency had already begun voluntarily closing on Tuesdays following his appeals.
BJP MLA from Trilokpuri Ravi Kant also wrote to the district magistrate on the matter: “I have requested that during Navratri meat shops should not be allowed to open during Navratri. The Hindu New Year also begins on the same day… During this period there should be no animal slaughter so that the sanctity is maintained.”
A similar demand has also been put forward by BJP leader in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
In March 2021, meat shops in Gurugram were asked to remain closed on Tuesdays after the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) following demands from BJP councillors who claimed their religious sentiments were hurt.
Meanwhile, Singh has also written to Delhi’s police commissioner, requesting that namaz not be conducted on streets and public spaces, citing disruptions to traffic and public convenience. As chief of the BJP’s Temple Cell in Delhi, Singh recently defeated former AAP minister Satyendar Jain in the elections.
“Everyone has the right to practice their religion, but public order and traffic should not be disturbed,” Singh argued in his letter to the police, urging action to prevent such gatherings in the city.
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