In Madhya Pradesh, meat shops in Bhopal and Indore will be shut on five upcoming Hindu, Jain, Sindhi, and Buddhist festivals. The BJP-led municipal corporations in both cities have mandated closures on Gudi Padwa and Chaiti Chand (March 30), Ram Navami (April 6), Mahavir Jayanti (April 10), and Buddha Purnima (May 12), warning of strict action, including license cancellations, for violations.
Meanwhile, the district administration of Maihar, a religious city in northeastern Madhya Pradesh, has enforced a complete ban on the sale of non-vegetarian food—including eggs, fish, chicken, and meat—throughout the nine-day Navratri festival from March 30 to April 7.
In Indore, where authorities have ordered only a four-day shutdown, the Hindu Rashtra Sangathan (HRS) is pushing for a full nine-day ban. HRS chief Rajesh Shirodkar declared, “We believe in ‘first request, then enforcement.’ Our workers will patrol Indore, and if we find meat shops open, we will ensure by force that they remain shut.”
Several BJP leaders, including Public Works Minister Rakesh Singh and MLAs Abhilash Pandey and Rameshwar Sharma, have backed a statewide nine-day meat shop closure for Navratri.
