Bhopal: The district administration in Maihar, a religious city in northeastern Madhya Pradesh, has ordered a complete ban on the sale of all non-vegetarian foods, including eggs, fish, chicken, and meat, for the entire nine-day Navratri festival from 30 March to 7 April.
Meanwhile, meat shops in two major cities of BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, including the capital Bhopal and the state’s most populated city, Indore, will remain shut on five upcoming Hindu, Jain, Sindhi, and Buddhist festivals.
The BJP-governed municipal corporations in both cities have mandated the closure of meat shops within municipal limits on Gudi Padwa and Chaiti Chand (30 March), Ram Navami (6 April), Mahavir Jayanti (10 April), and Buddha Purnima (12 May). Authorities have warned of strict action against any shop found violating the order, including the cancellation of licenses.
However, in Indore, where the municipal corporation has ordered a four-day closure rather than a full Navratri shutdown, the right-wing Hindu Rashtra Sangathan (HRS) has urged for a citywide nine-day ban on meat shops.
“We believe in pahle nivedan aur phir danadan (first request and then punishment). Our workers will travel across Indore, and if we find meat shops open, we will ensure with force that they remain closed during the entire Chaitra Navratri,” HRS head Rajesh Shirodkar said.
Several BJP legislators in the state, including Public Works Department Minister Rakesh Singh, first-time Jabalpur North MLA Abhilash Pandey, and Huzur (Bhopal) MLA Rameshwar Sharma, have also backed calls for a statewide nine-day meat shop closure during Navratri.
Meanwhile, responding to the selective ban in Indore, Congress leader Sach Saluja questioned, “Why does the order not apply to big restaurants, including major brands like KFC and McDonald’s? Why are only small shop owners targeted, while large restaurants remain unaffected?”
In a separate incident in Damoh town, Bundelkhand region, activists from right-wing Hindu outfits allegedly blackened the face of Chief Municipal Officer (CMO) Pradip Sharma after municipal staff stopped them from putting saffron flags on the town’s famous clock tower.
The activists were reportedly angered when officials told them they were acting on the CMO’s instructions.
An inquiry has been ordered into the entire sequence of events, including the municipal staff’s actions and the attack on the CMO.
“We’ve ordered a high-level probe into the entire incident, and action will be taken based on the findings,” Damoh district collector Sudhir Kochar said.
