Delhi mayor calls for closure of meat shops, non-veg food vendors along Kanwar Yatra routes

Delhi Mayor Pravesh Wahi has written to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner demanding immediate closure of all meat shops and roadside food stalls serving non-veg items along key pilgrimage routes and near devotee camps during the ongoing Kanwar Yatra and upcoming Mahashivratri.

In a formal communication to MCD Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar, the mayor called for swift action to shut down non-vegetarian food vendors across the capital to prevent hurting religious sentiments.

“As you are aware, the holy month of Sawan and the sacred Kanwar Yatra have commenced. Thousands of Kanwar pilgrims travel through various roads in Delhi. During this period, it has been observed that roadside shops and carts selling raw and cooked meat operate at night, which are completely illegal,” Mayor Wahi wrote in the letter.

Emphasising that open consumption of non-vegetarian food on public roads causes distress to devotees, Wahi urged civic officials to act without delay.

“Therefore, with immediate effect, all raw and cooked meat shops and roadside carts operating along major roads of Delhi or in vicinity of Kanwar camps during Mahashivratri and the Kanwar Yatra should be closed to ensure smooth passage for the pilgrims,” the mayor said.

Every year during the holy month of Sawan, lakhs of ‘Kanwariyas’ (devotees of Lord Shiva) travel through the capital and adjoining areas carrying holy water from the Ganges to offer at local temples.

Earlier this week, the MCD had directed its 12 zones to shut all unauthorised meat shops and take action against licensed outlets found violating permit conditions along Kanwar Yatra routes and near Kanwar camps.

The civic body had also asked officials to complete all civic arrangements before the yatra, during which 308 Kanwar camps are scheduled to operate across the capital from July 30 to August 11, officials said.

In an office memorandum issued Monday, all zonal deputy commissioners were ordered to ensure that encroachments at identified Kanwar camp sites are removed before the start of the pilgrimage, civic officials said.