Form of words:
LucknowUttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has imposed a complete ban on the sale of liquor and meat in Mathura.
Announcing the Krishna Janmashtami program on Monday, the Chief Minister supported the demands of the saints and local political representatives of the Braj region (Mathura-Vrindavan), who demanded a ban On the sale of alcohol and non-vegetarian food in the area.
Adityanath directed the officials concerned to prepare a plan for the implementation of the ban, which should also include those involved in liquor and meat trade among other professions.
He suggested that such traders could start selling milk and revive the industry in Mathura, which is known for producing cattle milk in huge quantities.
Adityanath also said that every effort should be made to develop the Braj region and there will be no shortage of funds for this. He said that we are seeing a mix of modern technology and cultural and spiritual heritage for the development of the region.
During his speech, the CM also took a dig at the opposition, talking about the “changes” that have taken place in the last five years. He said those who were afraid to go to temples are now calling Ram Lalla or Lord Krishna as their own.
“Earlier governments feared that they would be labeled communal if they worshiped deities in temples. Those who were afraid to go to the temples are now calling Lord Rama and Krishna their own.
Read also: Faith, Freedom, Finance Holiday Gurugram ‘unfair and unjust’ meat-eaters divided on Tuesday
The demand for ban started in 2017
According to a source in the CM’s office, the ban on the sale of liquor and meat is not new in Mathura. In 2017, several officials, including the secretary of the Shri Krishna Janmasthan temple, demanded a ban on alcohol and meat in the Braj region. This was raised when neighboring Vrindavan and Barsan became the first to be declared ‘holy pilgrimage sites’ or holy shrines in Uttar Pradesh by the Yogi Adityanath government on 27 October 2017.
Once declared a holy temple, non-vegetarian food and alcohol are not sold in the area.
“This has been a demand of the local unit of the party for a long time. The trade of meat and liquor should be banned in the areas where we have our famous temples. Now our government is going to fulfill it. It will help our politics as many of our MLAs made this promise during the 2017 elections. We will try to make such demands in other places as well,” a UP BJP functionary told ThePrint.
After coming to power in 2017, CM Yogi ordered a ban on cow smuggling and directed the state police to shut down illegal slaughterhouses. The BJP functionary said the decision helped the party create a narrative.
With inputs from PTI
(Edited by Mansa Mohan)
Read also: Uttarakhand HC questions constitutionality of ban on slaughterhouses in Haridwar district
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