NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam on Satuday called on Mumbai Police to shut down street-side Shawarma stalls and other non-vegetarian vendors during the festival of Navratri, claiming that such sales hurt Hindu sentiments.
“From tomorrow, the holy festival of Navratri will start. A large number of Hindu devotees will observe fast and worship the goddess. In such a situation, Shawarma stalls are open on the roads in Mumbai, and non-veg is sold there. This is hurting Hindu sentiments,” Nirupam stated.
He claimed that there are over 250 Shawarma stalls in Andheri East alone and announced that he, along with party members, would approach the MIDC Police Station to demand action against street vendors selling non-vegetarian food during Navratri.
“Today, we are going to MIDC PS against this and requesting the police to shut down the shops selling non-veg on the streets at least during the days of Navratri,” he said.
Nirupam clarified that his demand does not apply to restaurants operating indoors but only to street vendors. “Someone selling non-veg in a closed restaurant, they can do it, but selling non-veg on the streets during Navratri days definitely hurts the sentiments of Hindus,” he added.
NCP (SCP) calls it ‘tamasha’
Nirupam’s comments drew sharp criticism from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), with national spokesperson Anish Gawande dismissing his statements as mere theatrics.
“Yesterday, he had a problem with Kunal Kamra. Today, he has a problem with Shawarma stalls. Tomorrow, he will have a problem with you and me. Religion and loyalty to party leadership are just excuses. The real goal is to put on a tamasha that distracts us from real issues,” Gawande said.
Nirupam’s demand comes amid similar restrictions being implemented in other regions during Navratri. The Maihar district administration in Madhya Pradesh has banned the sale of meat, fish, and eggs within Maihar Nagar Palika from March 30 to April 7 in observance of the festival. Likewise, the Varanasi Municipal Corporation has announced that all meat shops in the city will remain closed during Navratri, with enforcement measures in place.
