The mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Adesh Gupta, has ordered that all meat shops be closed on Anant Chaturdashi, celebrated today.

“Anant Chaturdashi or Anant Chaudas is a religious day for people, and keeping in mind their sentiments, it has been decided to close slaughter houses and meat shops,” he said. Gupta also directed officials to check sale of illegal meat, a North corporation spokesperson said.

He said the corporation has been issuing such circulars for several years. “People are advised not to sell meat on this day,” he said.

A South corporation official said, “The civic body has been issuing circulars not to slaughter animals as Anant Chaturdashi is a festival celebrated by Jains, who are mostly vegetarian.” The festival typically falls 10 days after Ganesh Chaturthi.

Last month, the BJP-ruled East corporation had directed all restaurants and eateries under its jurisdiction to put up prominent boards, specifying if they are serving halal or jhatka meat. Before that, the East civic body had decided that ahead of Eid al-Adha, it will distribute plastic bags in Muslim-dominated areas for people to dispose of animal remains, citing health concerns and religious sentiments.

Last year, the South civic body had proposed that shopkeepers stop displaying non-vegetarian food items in the open.

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