‘Where Is the Choice?’: Delhi to Shut Meat Shops During Navratri, Twitter Reacts

The mayor has asked that all meat shops remain shut in Delhi during the festival of Navratri from 2-11 April.

Delhi Mayor announces meat shops to be shut during Navratri.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Mayor Mukkesh Suryaan in a letter to the commissioner asked the meat shops in the area to be shut during Navratri as it made devotees "uncomfortable".

Further, he also said that the "foul smell" from meat shops makes devotees who are passing from there feel uneasy. He also added that the shops were unhygienic. Because of these reasons, he sought to shut all meat shops between 2-11 April during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri.

He has urged the commissioner to consider “the sentiments and feelings of the general public” and direct officers to ensure the closure of the shops.

Users online are not happy with this decision since they believe that eating meat is a personal choice and no citizen should be restricted from doing so because of the sentiments of another. Some have also spoken about how it encroaches on their right to eat what they want.

On the other hand, some users have stressed that this will only result in the closure of local shops and harm small businessmen since restaurants and delivery services will continue to cook and serve meat as usual. The mayor has also claimed that 99 percent households in Delhi don't consume garlic or onion, another questionable statement that has caught Twitter's attention.

Check out some reactions here: