Ram temple opening: Meat shops to remain closed on Jan 22 in Jaipur Heritage areas

Jaipur: Meat shops in Jaipur’s Municipal Corporation (JMC) Heritage area will remain closed on Jan 22, the day of the opening of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

Newly-elected Civil Lines BJP legislator Gopal Sharma, whose area falls under JMC Heritage region, also recommended the closure of liquor shops on Jan 22.

However, mayor Munesh Gujjar said, “As liquor shops do not fall under our jurisdiction, we are not authorised to take the decision but meat shops under JMC Heritage will remain closed on Jan 22.”

Meat ban is not something new in Rajasthan as meat shops and slaughter houses remain closed on Jain festivals.

Jaipur has two municipal corporations, one JMC (Heritage) and the other JMC (Greater). JMC Heritage has about 100 wards and is divided into five zones namely Amer, Hawa Mahal, Civil Lines, Kishanpole and Adarsh Nagar.

JMC (Greater) has 150 wards divided in five zones.

Incidentally, newly elected Hawa Mahal MLA Balmukund Acharya has been reprimanding civic and police officials for letting vendors sell non-vegetarian items in the open without license, saying it inconveniences the residents and tourists. He had received flak after his videos of apparently targeting the minority shop-owners did the rounds on social media.

In 2017, in BJP’s earlier stint, the JMC had cracked down on illegal meat shops and slaughter houses, terrifying the meat shop owners over valid licences. Owners had complained that JMC failed to renew their licences despite their several applications for it .

Jaipur has around 3,500 meat shops in the entire city.