Uproar after Sena forces closure of Gurgaon meat shops
GURGAON: Following the uproar over the forced closure of food outlets and meat shops in Gurgaon, Shiv Sena high command in Mumbai distanced itself from the action but the regional leaders owned up to the closure of meat shops.
A group of people forced closure of an outlet of KFC in Sector 14 and claimed to have closed about 300 meat shops and food outlets serving non-vegetarian dishes in Gurgaon on Tuesday for Navratras, the nine-day Hindu festival where devotees eat vegetarian food.
The protestors made meat shop owners sign a paper stating that they would not open shops during Navratras and every Tuesday. The meat shops in the area would remain closed every Tuesday when Hindus are barred from eating meat, said Ritu Raj, who claimed to be the district spokesperson of the Shiv Sena. Distancing the party from the action in Gurgaon, Harshal Pradhan, Shiv Sena’s media coordinator in Mumbai said that the party did not carry out any such drive.
“There’s no spokesperson by this name (Ritu Raj) in the Shiv Sena. We did not carry out any such drive in Gurgaon,” Pradhan, who is also the media advisor to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, said.
Shiv Sena leaders in Haryana, however, owned up to the group forced the closure of meat shops and food outlets selling non-vegetarian fare. Gopal Sharma, Haryana in-charge of Shiv Sena, said the action was taken by Gurgaon wing of the party but there was no directive from the party high command.
“We have a unit in Gurgaon and its members took the initiative to close down meat shops. Such shops are closed down across the country to ensure the sanctity of the Navratras festival,” Sharma said.
He said the decision was not taken by the party high command and it was the local unit that acted as they do every year.
Gautam Saini, district president of Shiv Sena, said that a large number of meat shops and food outlets serving non-vegetarian food closed down voluntarily during the Navratras.
“We consulted and persuaded shop owners who did not down shutters and they agreed,” Saini said.