Taking inspiration from the clamping down on "illegal" slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh under the governance of CM Yogi Adityanath, Hindu organisations in Karnataka appear to be taking their cue.
According to a report published by BV Shivashankari in TheTimes of India, gau rakshaks in Bengaluru are planning an agitation to demand the closure of as many as 1700 meat shops in the city, which they claim are illegal establishments. These outfits want the “UP model” replicated in the southern state, where the BJP is in the opposition.
"We must take Uttar Pradesh as a model where meat shop owners are voluntarily closing down their outlets," Karnataka Federation of Goshaalas leader Raghavendra told TOI.
Outfits including Gau Samrakshana Prakoshta and Karnataka Federation of Gaushaalas have reportedly claimed that there are only 43 licensed meat shops under BBMP limits and have appealed to the civic body for closure of illegal meat shops. Based on its response, the outfits will lay siege to the BBMP office, they told TOI.
However, Deputy Director of animal husbandry wing of the BBMP, Dr Sriram, refuted the outfit’s claim that a survey they conducted found that only 43 meat shops possess licences.
Speaking to TOI, he said: “There are around 3,600 licensed meat shops in the city. The animal husbandry wing of BBMP issues separate licences for meat shops. Among the several conditions are building owner's consent and neighbour's consent for opening a meat shop."
Congress Minister KJ George saw the Hindu outfits’ move as a means of inciting communalism in the state and said that the Siddaramaiah government will strongly resist it.
"BJP wants to replicate the Yogi brand of saffron politics in Karnataka ahead of elections... But our government will never allow communal politics to thrive,” he was quoted as saying.