LUCKNOW: Responding to the demand of imposing complete ban on sale of meat and liquor in the entire Ayodhya district, Uttar Pradesh minister Shrikant Sharma said on Sunday that respecting the feelings of the people of Ayodhya, Yogi Adityanath government would proceed to take a step and try to fulfil seers' demands well within the constitutional limits and legal framework.
Notably, the seers of the temple town had raised the demand for ban following the renaming of Faizabad district as Ayodhya on Saturday. Till now, the ban had been existing only in Ayodhya town of Faizabad district but now the seers, including the chief priest of Ramjanmabhumi makeshift temple Satendra Das, want this ban to be extended to the entire Ayodhya district to maintain the sanctity of the birthplace of Lord Ram.
Imposing a ban within the legal framework means that first, the state religious affairs ministry would have to declare entire Ayodhya district a holy site for being Lord Ram's birthplace. Secondly, through a government order, the sale and consumption of meat and liquor within the municipal limits of the district would be banned.
The ban will not be only on slaughtering and selling the meat in shops but it will also be applicable to the restaurants who offer non-vegetarian food.
In all probability, it will be done on the lines of Vrindavan and Barsana in Mathura district where the government effected a similar ban last year as both the places have religious importance. However, if the state government proceeds to meet the seers' demands, it will also have to address the issue of livelihood of a considerable chunk of Muslim population living in the district and surviving on meat-selling business.
Meanwhile, the major opposition parties including the SP, BSP and the Congress take it as another ploy of the BJP-led state government to polarise Hindus on religious issues in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
As they have failed on the parameters of development they are trying to polarise Hindus over religious issues, said a senior BSP leader. However, Samajwadi Party leaders chose to remain mum over the issue.
However, the political observers feel that the ruling party is resorting to polarisation politics in order to counter the challenges posed by a possible grand alliance of opposition parties in 2019 Lok Sabha polls.