Arunachal Pradesh: The order asking all hotels and restaurants in Arunachal Pradesh's capital Itanagar to remove signboards displaying "beef" have been put on hold until further notice.
Earlier, all eateries were asked to remove the signboards with the word "beef" by Monday or face a fine of Rs 2,000. Hotels were also threatened with the cancellation of their trade license. The order was met with protests from many including the Arunachal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI). Many called it "needless" and expressed disagreement on social media.
The notification issued on July 13 said the district administration of Itanagar Capital Region believes in the secular spirit of the Indian Constitution. But the open display of the word "beef" may hurt the sentiments of some sections of the community and may create animosity between the different groups.
The Arunachal Pradesh unit of the National People's Party alleged that the order has the "intention of evoking unrest, contrary to its claim of appeasing sentiments."
The Youth Congress called for a withdrawal. President Tarh John wrote in a letter to the Executive Magistrate that citizens of Arunachal Pradesh have been consuming beef since time immemorial and it has never hurt any community member's sentiments. He added that the sudden and surprising order by the administration has created restlessness in the minds of different groups of people in the state, especially in the capital region.
The order was issued by the Executive Magistrate of Naharlagun - who oversees the Itanagar Capital Region. "It has been kept in abeyance," said Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) deputy commissioner Talo Potom. He was speaking at a meeting with the Naharlagun Bazar Welfare Committee.
He claimed the open display along the highways portrays an ugly picture of the capital even though there is no restriction on eating meat. The DC appealed not to give the order a communal colour and assured that it was issued with good intention as a preventative measure.
The official added that they received several representations from various quarters seeking an extension of the timeline for compliance. "Various organisations and individuals expressed their diverse opinion and objections to the order."