Jaipur: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Hawa Mahal MLA Balmukund Acharya has begun a crackdown on “illegal” non-vegetarian shops selling cooked or raw meat on the streets. Acharya, who was seen taking action as soon as he was elected on December 3, claimed that these meat-selling shops did not have licenses and were selling non-vegetarian foods near temples.
Acharya’s video went viral in which he was seen speaking to police officials asking them to shut all non-veg stalls on the streets. Speaking to an officer, Acharya said on call in front of the media, “All the non-veg stalls on the streets should vanish with immediate effect. I will take a report from you in the evening. Will you hand it to me or will I have to come to your office?”
He asked an officer on call in front of the media, “Can non-veg be sold openly on the streets? Say yes or no, you are live. You’re supporting them? With immediate effect, non-veg shops should be shut. I will take the report from you, I don’t know who is the officer.”
As Acharya cut the call, people shouted ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
Acharya won by a minimal margin against the Congress candidate from the Hawa Mahal constituency.
On a drive to visit non-veg-selling shops on Monday, police were seen speaking to Acharya trying to reason with him but to no avail. He was seen shouting, “Police are trying to stop us. The administration is stopping us.”
In another video, Acharya was seen outside a non-vegetarian outlet in Jaipur asking to see their license. He accused the outlet of illegal possession of land. “Not even a single person has a license here. How will a tourist come here? You have spread dirt all around. Karachi banana chahte ho? Yeh Apra Kashi hai.”
Releasing a statement on Tuesday, Acharya said, “I have been speaking to officers for a few years now that in our whole area, all constituencies in the old city, openly on the streets near temples in nooks and corners many meat shops are operating. There is a rule regarding meat shops that whatever meat you sell — raw or cooked — you have to cover it, you need to have a license and this has to be kept in mind.”
He went on to say, “Everyone has a job, you do it but follow the rule. This is a matter of concern and this is why I asked them to look into it. These shops are working on naalas in dirty conditions. This is spreading diseases. This is why we said that they should work according to the rules.”
Acharya further said that meat shops set up a market in the morning and evening. They cook meat and there is smoke and smell that comes from it, which is an issue for those who do not eat meat and they face problems. He added that as a citizen, he requested officers to look into the matter.
“If I offended anyone, then I seek your apology,” he added.
The BJP has won 115 seats in Rajasthan and is set to form the next government in a state that has a history of changing governments every five years. The Congress, which was ruling the state under Ashok Gehlot, won only 69 seats.
