BHOPAL: After a similar demand in Delhi, BJP MLAs in Madhya Pradesh are advocating the closure of meat shops during the nine-day Basantiya Navratri, which begins on 30 March. BJP legislators, including two from Jabalpur district and one from Bhopal, have called for meat shops to remain shut throughout the auspicious period, which coincides with the Hindu New Year, Gudi Padwa. “This is a very sensitive issue, which doesn’t require any debate. The religious sentiments of the majority community need to be respected. If they believe that their nine-day auspicious period should be free from non-vegetarian food, then all other communities should also respect their sentiments,” said Rakesh Singh, the state’s PWD minister and BJP MLA from Jabalpur-West, supporting the demand. His views were echoed by first-time BJP MLA from Jabalpur-North, Abhilash Pandey. Ex-pro tem Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha and three-time BJP MLA from Bhopal’s Huzur constituency, Rameshwar Sharma, also backed the demand. “Why is consensus needed on this issue? If the other community shuts down their shops for nine days, it will not mean huge losses for them. The sentiments of Hindus need to be respected,” Sharma said. Members of the right-wing Hindu outfit Sanskriti Bachao Manch, led by their chief Chandrashekhar Tiwari, submitted a memorandum to the Bhopal district administration, demanding the closure of all meat shops for the entire Navratri. They also urged authorities to shut liquor shops on Mahashtami (5 April), Ram Navami (6 April), and Hanuman Jayanti (12 April) in Bhopal. Reacting to the BJP MLAs’ demand, state Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez said, “The demand is politically motivated and aimed at arousing religious sentiments for political gain. If the BJP and its leaders are so concerned about religious sentiments, why don’t they also demand the closure of liquor shops for the remaining days of our auspicious month, Ramadan?” The demand in Madhya Pradesh follows similar calls from BJP MLAs in Delhi, including Ravinder Negi and Neeraj Basoya.
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