MEAT, LIQUOR BAN: DEMAND GROWS LOUDER IN MATHURA CITY, AYODHYA
The demand to declare Mathura city as a pilgrimage site gains momentum after CM Yogi favoured ban on sale of meat, liquor at pilgrim spots
LUCKNOW : After CM Yogi Adityanath favoured a ban on sale of meat and liquor at pilgrimage sites, the demand to declare Mathura city as a pilgrimage site has gained momentum so that ban on these two items could be enforced there also. In Ayodhya, the saints want the existing ban on the sale of liquor and meat on the Panchkoshi Parikrama Marg to be extended to the 14 Koshi Parikrama Marg. A UP government spokesman said that sale of meat and liquor was already banned in the areas that had been declared places of pilgrimage.
LUCKNOW: After Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath favoured a ban on sale of meat and liquor at pilgrimage sites (teerth sthals), the demand to declare Mathura city as a pilgrimage site has gained momentum so that ban on these two items could be enforced there also. In Ayodhya, the saints want the existing ban on the sale of liquor and meat on the Panchkoshi Parikrama Marg to be extended to the 14 Koshi Parikrama Marg.
A UP government spokesman said that sale of meat and liquor was already banned in the areas that had been declared places of pilgrimage.
“The government may soon declare entire city of Mathura as a place of pilgrimage to impose ban on the sale of meat and liquor there,” he said.
Meat and liquor, according to him, were currently banned in the adjoining towns such as Vrindavan, Gokul that were declared places of pilgrimage.
Adityanath was at Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura on Monday to offer prayers on the occasion of Janmashtami.
He also attended the three-day Krishnotsav organised by the UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad at Ramlila ground there.
Addressing the gathering, Adityanath had supported the demand of the local saints who wanted a ban on the sale of meat and liquor at religious sites.
There are seven places in Mathura district that have been declared as pilgrimage sites. There is a complete ban on the sale of liquor and meat at these places.
However, the Mathura city has not been declared as a pilgrimage site till date. Therefore, there is no ban on sale of meat and liquor in the whole Mathura city as such.
“Status of teerth (pilgrimage) has a provision for ban on sale of liquor and meat. So, to have effective ban on sale of these products, there is need to declare Mathura city as a teerth,” said Gopeshwar Chaturvedi, member of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust.
“Vrindavan has been accorded the status of teerth. But Mathura has been left out despite the city having religious sites like Shri Krishna Janambhoomi, Dwarkadeesh temple and Vishram Ghat on the bank of the Yamuna river,” said Chaturvedi.
Seven town areas in Mathura district linked with Lord Krishna and Radha have been declared “teerth”.
They are Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon, Goverdhan, Baldev and Radhakund. These places were accorded the status of pilgrimage by the Yogi Adityanath government.
Pradeep Mathura, four-time Congress MLA from Mathura assembly seat and former leader of Congress Legislature Party, too, favoured the demand of declaring Mathura as a pilgrimage site.
“Residents of Mathura city feel cheated having been deprived the status of teerth which will automatically ensure a ban on the sale of liquor and meat in this holy city,” said Pradeep Mathur.
Mathur, however, asserted that alternative arrangements of livelihood should be made for 1.5 lakh Muslims of Mathura city before this ban comes into effect.
In Ayodhya, the saints want the existing ban on sale of liquor and meat on the Panchkoshi Parikrama Marg to be extended to 14 Koshi Parikrama arg.
Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Ram, is among the most revered religious destinations for Hindus.
Here, the sale of liquor and meat is prohibited on the Panchkosi Parikrama Marg, which covers the area around Ram Janmabhoomi, Hanuman Garhi and other temples within a 15-km radius.
The ban on Panchkoshi Parikrama Marg was imposed long back by the erstwhile Ayodhya Nagar Palika when Ayodhya was a separate municipal body under Faizabad district.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath had renamed Faizabad as Ayodhya district in November 2018 on the occasion of Deepotsav celebrations in Ayodhya.
“Now, the construction of Ram temple is going on. So, the sale of meat and liquor should be prohibited on the 14 Kosi Parikrama Marg which will cover the entire district,” said Mahant Kanhaiya Das, head of the Ayodhya Sant Samaj.
In Varanasi, considered the abode of Lord Shiva by the faithful, so far there is no ban on sale of meat and liquor.
A senior official of the Varanasi Municipal Corporation, who did not wish to be named, said that there was no ban on the sale of meat and liquor in the city. As of now, there was no such proposal either.
In 2004, the Supreme Court upheld the move to make Haridwar, Rishikesh and Muni Ki Reti free from non-vegetarian food by prohibiting sale of meat. These three places were part of Uttar Pradesh earlier but became part of the new hill state of Uttarakhand which was carved out of UP in November 2000.
An official spokesman of the Uttar Pradesh government said that the powers to ban the sale of meat and liquor were vested in the respective municipal bodies.
“We will let you know once orders are issued,” said the spokesman.
Another senior officer added that selling meat was already banned at many religious spots.
A senior officer of the state excise department said: “Selling liquor is already banned within an eight- kilometre area around eight religious spots in Mathura.” “We will be able to comment on the ban in the entire district once we get directives in this regard,” he added.
Samajwadi Party (SP) spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said the SP was always in favour of maintaining the sanctity of religious places.
He added the BJP was making a political announcement about banning the sale of meat and liquor, but would not succeed in this due to the lack of intent.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesman Surendra Rajput stated the chief minister’s announcement reflected the dual policies of his government.
He added that on the one hand, the state government was talking about increasing excise revenue and on the other, about banning liquor. With assembly polls due early next year in Uttar Pradesh, politics over ban on sale of meat and liquor at religious sites is likely to intensify.