Emboldened with over a month-old Yogi Adityanath Government’s crackdown against illegal slaughterhouses in neighboring Uttar Pradesh, about 14-year-old BJP Government of Madhya Pradesh has decided to shut all illegal abattoirs in the State.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the move at a religious function of the Jain community in Mohankheda of Dhar district (300 km from Bhopal) on Sunday.
The CM was among a host of politicians who attended the Acharya Pattabhishek ceremony of Jain seer Rishabh Vijayji. CM Chouhan made the announcement in response to a request made by the Jain seer, who became head of the Mohankheda pilgrimage on Sunday.
Acharya Rishabh Vijayji said he had raised the issue of illegal slaughterhouses with the Chief Minister during his recent visit to Mohankheda for the State BJP executive meeting.
He also remembered having raised with the CM the issue of both halal and jhatka slaughter.
The CM responded promptly to the Jain seer’s concerns by announcing the shutdown.
However, Chouhan did not give a deadline for the crackdown against illegal slaughterhouses.
The CM had in April, during the ongoing Narmada Seva Yatra, announced to make MP a dry State in phases.
In April, Bhopal Mayor Alok Sharma had said that the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) had identified 100 illegal meat shops in various parts of the State capital and assured action under relevant rules and regulations. The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) had, also in April, demolished an illegal meat shop-cum-slaughterhouse in Manik Bag area.