Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP Gujarat chief CR Paatil has instructed mayors in the state to not take any coercive actions against those selling non-vegetarian food on roadside carts, reports The Indian Express.
Paatil's statement is significant because it comes at a time when several BJP-run civic bodies in Gujarat, such as the ones in Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar, have been working towards removing non-vegetarian food carts and stalls from the main roads, in the name of "hurt religious sentiments".
“Everyone in this country has the liberty to decide what to eat. It is not appropriate to remove a person selling non-vegetarian food on a cart if people are buying from him. There is no such provision in the law either. People are free to sell anything that is not prohibited. So, there is no question of removing carts."CR Paatil, BJP Gujarat chief