What if we ban eating food in public during Ramzan: Abdulla reacts to BJP's meat ban
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New Delhi: A Delhi BJP mayor's a call to shut all meat shops during the Navratri have churned out mixed response from the political arena. While some meat shops in Delhi voluntarily downed the shutters, fearing repercussions, others did not pay attention to the call.
The South MCD mayor Mukkesh Suryaan wrote the South MCD Commissioner urging him to issue an order to close all meat shops during the nine-day period of the Navratri festival extending from April 2 to April 11.
The BJP mayor's demand to ban meats during Navratri, however, did not go well with other political parties. It is the BJP which rules Delhi's three civic bodies — South, East, and North. The state ruling party AAP, Congress and even former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reacted to the BJP mayor's dictatorial demand.
Backing his party colleague's demand, MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, who represents the West Delhi Lok Sabha seat, urged Muslims to respect the Hindus festival by not falling to the provocative statements made by leaders such as Asaduddin Owaisi.
But the mayor Suryaan said during the nine days people even give up the use of onion and garlic, so the sight of meat being sold open would be hurting for Hindus. The demand he made has been based on the majoritarian theory that the minority is forced to shun their practice for the sake of majority people.
Former Kashmir CM Abdullah's reply to Verma's majoritarian demand seemed to be fitting, who asked whether it would be appropriate a ban on serving food open during Ramzan in Kashmir where Muslims dominates.
"During Ramzan we don't eat between sunrise & sunset. I suppose it's OK if we ban every non-Muslim resident or tourist from eating in public, especially in the Muslim dominated areas. If majoritarianism is right for South Delhi, it has to be right for J&K," Abdullah tweeted.
Delhi Congress vice-president Abhishek Dutt termed the demand a cheap publicity stunt by the mayor, who has no right to impose such a ban, while AAP leader Durgesh Pathak challenged to impose such a ban in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
There are around 1,500 registered meat shops under the SDMC's jurisdiction. While this is the first time a civic body in Delhi has sought closure of meat shops during Navratri, it is not the first time it has tried regulating them.