Meat shops in Delhi should be shut during the "auspicious period of Navratri devoted to Goddess Durga", the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said Monday, adding that devotees during these nine days avoid eating meat and certain spices.
The East Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Shyam Sundar Agarwal made the same demand and said "closing of meat shops will make us happy during this festival".
"During Navratri days, people visit temple to pay their respect to the Goddess and to seek blessings for themselves and their families. In these days people forgo even use of onion and garllic in their diet and the sight of meat being sold in open or near temples makes them uncomfortable," South Delhi Mayor Mukkesh Suryaan said in his letter.
The Mayor said the "religious beliefs and sentiments" of devotees are also affected when they come across meat shops on their daily visits to the temple. They also have to contend with the "foul smell", he said.
"Moreover, some meat shops dump waste in gutters or beside the road, which the stray dogs feed on. It is not only unhygienic but also an appaling sight for passerby. Such events can be restricted if the meat shops are closed down during the period of Navratri festival...the closing of meat shops near temples is also necessary to maintain the cleanliness in and around temples," he said.
When asked what's the basis for the decision, the Mayor said "people don't want it", without explaining who these people are or if a survey was conducted to determine that.
"What's the problem? What's wrong in this? We are just asking for Navratra, not for regular (sic)," the Mayor told NDTV in an interview, stressing that he has taken "public opinion" on this.
The Navratri festival, which began on April 2, ends nine days later on 11.
Gupt Navratri 2024: Know Date, Shubh Muhurat And Puja Rituals Fact Check: Is There A Meat Shop Operating Under A Temple In Kerala? I Tried A Week-Long Navratri Fasting For The First Time And Here Are My Two Cents UP BJP Rejig Soon? State Chief Offers To Quit Over Poll Drubbing: Sources Flying Squad Climbs Wall, Crashes Rajasthan School Exam, Finds Mass Cheating "I Divorce You... Your Ex-Wife": Dubai Princess Dumps Husband In Insta Post Fire Breaks Out In China Shopping Centre With People Trapped Inside: Report Deepika Padukone Said She Has Never Followed A Diet "That Is A Fad" US Woman Arrested For Sitting On Foster Son, 10, That Caused His Death Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.