Meat sellers in Lucknow and many other distress in Uttar Pradesh, including Ahmedabad have announced an indefinite strike from today. On account of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s crackdown on slaughter houses ordered only at closure to illegal slaughterhouses.
But meat sellers have complained that the police is raiding them despite having licences and a shortage of supplies has forced them to stop. Thus intensifying the strike from today, closing all shops including fish sellers who have agreed to join. The livelihood of lakhs of people has been adversely hit due to the crackdown.
In Noida, butcher shops said their incomes had fallen by as much as half because of the crackdown. “ The authorities are even shutting down the chicken shops” said one shop owner. Even shops that were able to provide the required papers were asked to install purdahs or curtains in front of them, they said. Others complained that the government was dragging its feet on issuing fresh licenses and renewing old ones.
The police on the other hand maintained that they were following procedure, “ It is the police’s job to check papers. Some people are closing their shops themselves because they do not have renewed licenses.” said Sujata Singh, Superintendent of Police of Gautam Budh Nagar.
After taking charge of India’s most populous state last week, the Yogi Adityanath government ordered a full closure of illegal slaughterhouses and reinforcement on the ban on cow smuggling to fulfil a key election promise.
Responding to complaints about loss of income, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “If there is large-scale disruption, the state government will look into it and resolve the issue.”