Zomato temporarily suspended the delivery of non-vegetarian items in several states in North India, a move the company says was in response to a government order.
Users across various cities reported the absence of non-veg food options by the delivery platform on X, leading to speculations. The move is believed to be in respect of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya which was held yesterday.
Zomato addressed the user concerns on X, clarifying that the decision to suspend the delivery of non-veg items was in compliance with the government's notice.
"We have disabled delivery of non-veg items in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as per govt. notice. Hope this clarification helps," stated Zomato's customer care support on the social media platform.
Varun Khera, the head of the National Restaurant Association of India in Uttar Pradesh, had earlier affirmed that restaurants across the state had collectively decided to serve only vegetarian food on January 22. Meat shops in the affected states were also closed on the day.
The chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, Durga Shankar Mishra, had issued an order instructing district magistrates to ensure the closure of liquor vends and meat shops on the day of the consecration ceremony.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had also announced the closure of meat shops and slaughterhouses until 4 pm on January 22 in alignment with the Ram Temple consecration ceremony.