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According to the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), the shop was found operating within 100 metres of the temple, defying the restrictions. Mayor Sushma Kharakwal personally visited the area and instructed LMC Zonal Officer Shilpa Kumari to take immediate action.
Lucknow civil officials on Sunday (March 30) took strict action by sealing a meat shop near Balaji Temple in Rajajipuram and imposing a penalty on its owner for violating the Uttar Pradesh government's directive. The state had banned the sale of meat within a 500-metre radius of religious places during the Navratri festival, which began on Sunday.
According to the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), the shop was found operating within 100 metres of the temple, defying the restrictions. Mayor Sushma Kharakwal personally visited the area and instructed LMC Zonal Officer Shilpa Kumari to take immediate action.
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"The shop has been sealed, and its stock confiscated as per the mayor's directions. We are ensuring strict enforcement of government orders," the zonal officer said. An LMC press release further said that any violation of the directive would invite stringent action.
The Uttar Pradesh government's decision to prohibit meat sales near religious places during Navratri has drawn criticism from opposition leaders. AAP MP Sanjay Singh questioned why the ban only targeted meat shops while liquor stores and restaurants selling non-vegetarian food, including KFC and McDonald's, remained operational.
"Yogi Adityanath should extend this ban to liquor shops and meat-serving restaurants as well. Within 500 metres on highways in Uttar Pradesh, you will find temples, KFC, McDonald's, and other eateries. Why should these places remain open while meat shops are shut?" ANI quoted Singh as saying.
The Uttar Pradesh government cited its 2014 and 2017 orders, reiterating that illegal slaughter and meat sales near religious places were strictly prohibited. District Magistrates have been directed to oversee enforcement through dedicated district-level committees, reports said.
Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department, Amit Abhijat, instructed all District Magistrates, Police Commissioners, and Municipal Commissioners to swiftly close down illegal slaughterhouses and ensure strict implementation of the ban. The directive mandates a complete prohibition on animal slaughter and meat sales until April 6, 2025, coinciding with Ram Navami.
Officials have been asked to take action against violators under the UP Municipal Corporation Act, 1959, and the Food Safety Acts of 2006 and 2011.
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