No impact on supply of meat in Modi and Yogi constituencies

LUCKNOW: At the Nai Sadak area in Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, it was business as usual at Mohammad Meeraj’s mutton shop — a steady flow of customers lining up for fresh meat from a well-stocked trader.

More than a 100 km to the west in chief minister Adiyanath Yogi’s parliamentary constituency Gorakhpur, Abdullah Quraishi was having an equally busy day. It was Monday, a day before Navratra, and people were queuing up at his shop to buy mutton, one last time before they go vegetarian for nine days.

The scene in the two towns is in contrast to many other places in Uttar Pradesh, which is facing a severe shortage of meat and eggs due to an indefinite strike called by traders against what they said was harassment by officials following a crackdown by the BJP government on illegal slaughterhouses.

Barring buffalo meat, there was visibly no shortage of meat, chicken, or eggs in the two towns. “I know meat sellers are on strike at Lucknow. There has been a crackdown against illegal slaughterhouses but not meat shops. Therefore I have opened the shop,” said Mohammad Meraj. Mohammad Ansari, a chicken meat seller, in the Rewari Talab area, said he kept his shop closed on Monday morning but opened it by noon.

“There is no impact on business. Crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses is a good move. Anything illegal should face action. Customers’ inflow is usual. Neither it has increased, nor dipped,” said Pintu Sonkar, an egg seller in Pandeypur area.

Vinod Kumar, who sells fried chicken, omelettes and other chicken dishes from his vending cart, claimed “a little rise” in business. Here, well-known eating joints are said to be facing the shortage, leading to dip in business. In Gorakhpur, home to Adityanath for 20 years, meat sellers said there was no effect of the crackdown on their business.

Besides other places, meat is also sold at 15 to 20 shops located in two dozen Muslim localities near Gorakhnath Temple headed by Adityanath.

Gorakhpur university PhD student Swatantra Kumar, whose daily meals include a mutton or chicken dish, said the items were available. Besides, there are unlicensed sellers who sell meat at makeshift shops.

THE SCENE IN THE TWO TOWNS IS IN CONTRAST TO MANY OTHER PLACES IN UTTAR PRADESH, WHICH IS FACING A SEVERE SHORTAGE OF MEAT AND EGGS