Shiv Sena workers force shutdown of meat shops, KFC in Gurgaon citing Navratras

Gurugram: Shiv Sena workers on Wednesday forced closure of at least 500 meat shops in Gurugram, including KFC outlets, citing Navratras.

According to reports, hundreds of Shiv Sainiks had gone to the Old Gurugram on Tuesday with notices demanding the shops to remain closed till the Navratras get over. 

The Shiv Sea workers also threatened the meat and chicken shop owners with notices asking them to keep their shops shut on Tuesday - the first day of Navratras.

Shiv Sena leader Ritu Raj was quoted as saying by News18.com that there was nothing wrong in the step taken by his party’s workers. Ritu Raj even warned that those opening their chicken and meat shops during Navratras will have to face consequences. 

He further claimed that they had approached the police first, but when it paid no heed to their demands, they decided to serve notices to meat and chicken shop owners themselves.

The Shiv Sainiks reportedly forced the closure of meat shops in Palam Vihar, Surat Nagar, Ashok Vihar, Sector 5, 9, Pataudi Chowk, Jacobpura, Sadar Bazaar, Khandsa Anaj Mandi and in Sector 14 market. 

Shiv Sainiks also reportedly asked customers at KFC outlets to vacate the places so they could shut them down.

The shutdown of meat shops in Gurugram comes at a time when Uttar Pradesh is reeling under an indefinite strike by meat sellers following the crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses. 

According to reports, five more BJP-ruled states - Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh – have also begun crackdown on ‘illegal’ meat shops. 

Meanwhile, meat sellers in Uttar Pradesh met Minister Siddharth Nath Singh on Tuesday to find out a solution to licence renewal to run their business as usual.

With PTI inputs