Sellers protest JMC’s drive to seal illegal meat shops

JAIPUR:Meat merchants in Jaipur staged a protest on Tuesday morning against the Jaipur Municipal Corporation’s (JMC) drive to seal illegal meat shops in the city.

More than a hundred people associated with the meat business joined the protest to show solidarity with those who have lost their business because of the civic body’s drive.

“The JMC hasn’t issued licences to meat shops in the last two years and is now terming us illegal. Shops which have been in this business for years are being sealed, even though they have applied but haven’t received the licences,” said Abdul Rauf Qureshi, president, New Jaipur Meat Merchants’ Association.

The civic body is currently on a drive to seal ‘illegal’ meat shops in the city and since April more than 80 shops have been closed down. “Meat from our shops is also sent to the army as supplies. If meat shops in Jaipur are shut down how will the army get its supplies? Does the JMC want to deprive our jawans of meat?” said Fazl-E-karim Qureshi, another merchant.

Activists and civil rights organisations have also extended support to the meat merchants, terming the JMC drive as another example of growing saffronization in the state.

“Be it the closing of hotel Hayat Rabbani over beef rumours which later turned out to be false or the lynching of Pehlu Khan, there is utter lawlessness in the state and the police are just mute spectators because of government pressure,” said Vasant Haryana from the Rajasthan Nagrik Manch.Headdedthatthesame modus operandi of targeting people based on religion is behind this drive initiated by the JMC.