After a crushing defeat in Delhi Assembly polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is now facing the heat in Punjab for allegedly disrespecting the sentiments of the majority community during the sacred festival of Navratri.
Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor on Monday criticised the Bhagwant Mann led government over its stance on the labelling of meat shops, questioning the Chief Minister on why the distinction between ‘jhatka’ or ‘halal’ meat are explicitly written on meat shops across Punjab alongwith shops owners name.
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He accused the AAP leaders of indulging in unnecessary debate over meat and chicken sale during the auspicious period of Navratri, instead of respecting the sentiments of the majority community.
Accusing the AAP for trying to appease a particular section of society, Shankar said that “AAP leader Ms. Priyanka Kakkar should first understand that the reason behind mentioning the type of meat sold at meat shops is not due to untouchability, but to clarify the method of slaughter, as Muslim shopkeepers sell halal meat, which many Hindus and Sikhs do not consume.”
He further said that AAP leaders debating the issue of meat shops should first ask their own party’s Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann why the name of “Jhatka” or “Halal” meat sold is explicitly mentioned on meat shop boards throughout Punjab alongwith shop owners name.
The decision to eat or not eat meat, and the method of consumption, is a personal choice that is also tied to one’s religious beliefs, he said.
In such cases, it is the responsibility of the municipal corporation, which grants meat-selling licenses, to ensure that the meat is slaughtered in the correct manner and consumer informed, Shankar said.
The debate over closing down meat selling shops during Navratri is now new. The saffron party claims that the sentiments of the majority community should be respected but the opposition and the civil society opposes the call for the ban and blames the BJP for polarising the society in the name of sacred festivals.
