UP minister says no crackdown on chicken, egg shops, legal slaughter houses

UP health minister Siddharth Nath Singh said there was no crisis in the state since the crackdown on illegal slaughter houses.

UP health minister Siddharth Nath Singh has justified the clampdown on illegal slaughter houses and meat shops in Uttar Pradesh.

UP health minister Siddharth Nath Singh said there was no crisis in the state as the crackdown was only on illegal slaughter houses. (Twitter)

“Let’s not fall prey to a disinformation campaign. There is no crisis as there isn’t a problem with legal and licensed slaughter houses. Same is the case with authorised meat shops. But as I have said earlier as well, anything illegal cannot be justified,” Singh told reporters.

The Yogi Adityanath government’s crackdown against illegal slaughter houses and meat shops has met with a stiff resistance from traders—including those selling chicken, fish and eggs—and many of them have closed shops in protest against the decision.

The health minister said there was no closure order for chicken and egg shops. “And if some have shut down to modernise and legalise their businesses, I guess there is no harm in this.”

He also advised leaders, including BJP lawmakers, not to make out-of-turn and irresponsible statements. “Our language should be sober,” he said, adding that officers too shouldn’t act without thinking.

His warnings come in the wake of some BJP legislators like Vikram Saini from Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar having said that they would break the legs of those engaged in cow slaughter.