Al Haqeeqa
Greater Noida: Ordering around not to sell non-vegetarian eateries during Navratri, a cow vigilante group is threatening meat and chicken shop owners to remain closed during Navratri which starts on Sunday.
Calling themselves Gau Rakshak Dal, this group had forced meat shops in Noida to remain closed last year, along with ordering not to sell non-vegetarian eateries during Navratri. Ved Nagar, president of this group was also sent to judicial custody for forcing down meat shops to shut in Greater Noida’s Badalpur Last Year.
Ved on Saturday said his group will also see the closure of shops selling fish, other than meat and Chicken shops. “Navratri is a revered occasion for Hindus. Our religious feelings should be respected and these shops would be shut for nine days,” he said.
These vigilante groups are actively rising in the region for the past few, creating chaos in the region against Muslim Minorities, spreading there terror vigilantism to Navratri, Kanwar Yatra, Valentines Day and illegal transportation of cattle in the region.
The authorities in Noida say they are no official orders to close meat shops during Navratri and the local intelligence units are keeping an eye on these vigilantism groups.
Ved has also written to the Dadri Subdivisional Magistrate’s office requesting the Administration to take action of closing non-vegetarian shops during Navaratri.
He said “If the district administration does not take action, we will camp in the neighbourhood and force the shops to shut down,” adding other vigilante groups like Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Yuva Vahini, Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena have also extended their support for the same cause.
However, Dadri SDM Amit Kumar Singh said none of these groups had met him. “The district administration has not issued any order for closure of meat shops. We have sensitised local intelligence units to report such matters if they get information. We will take action against vigilante groups if they try to create ruckus by forcing an illegal closure of shops,” he said.
While, a meat owner and resident of Mamura Village, Sajid Quraishi, says, “I have been running this shop for several years. Nobody has told me to shut shop. We will remain open on Sunday.”
Sharif Quraishi, a chicken shop owner in Kasna, said “We usually sell 30-40 kg chicken on a normal day. During Navratri, the sale comes to 5-6 kg. Though no one has advised us against opening the shop, I have decided to close my shop during this period,” TOI reported.
