The state government has already banned the sale of liquor and meat in the area of Mathura where 'Parikrama' is performed.
Even as the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday formally approved renaming of Faizabad and Allahabad divisions as Ayodhya and Prayagraj respectively, sources said the state government was mulling a ban on meat and liquor in the twin Hindu holy cities of Ayodhya and Mathura.
Shrikant Sharma, spokesperson for the Uttar Pradesh government and Cabinet minister, said they are considering a demand in this regard made by seers. The state government has already banned the sale of liquor and meat in the area of Mathura where 'Parikrama' is performed.
Seers of Ayodhya had been demanding a blanket ban on sale of liquor and meat in Ayodhya, as they consider it disrespectful to Lord Ram. Earlier on November 6, on the occasion of Deepotsav, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had declared the renaming of Faizabad district as Ayodhya. On Tuesday, the Cabinet put a seal on this decision. Prayagraj division will comprise Prayagraj, Kaushambi, Fatehpur and Pratapgarh districts, while Ayodhya division will include Ayodhya, Ambedkarnagar, Sultanpur, Amethi and Barabanki districts.
The sudden spate in changing names of key Uttar Pradesh districts, towns and railway stations drew criticism from not only the Opposition but also the ruling NDA constituent Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP).
Uttar Pradesh minister and SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar criticised the BJP over the move and said the party should change names of its Muslim leaders before changing the names of different towns and places.
Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday dismissed a PIL challenging the renaming of Allahabad, saying the petitioner should first approach the Uttar Pradesh government with the grievance.
Acting Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice CD Singh granted liberty to the petitioner to file a representation before the state government on the issue. The bench said it is well settled that any person who seeks writ of mandamus must approach the authority concerned with his demand and in case of refusal only one can seek directions in the form of writ of mandamus from court.
Seers’ Demand
Seers from Ayodhya had long been demanding a blanket ban on sale of meat and liquor in Ayodhya, saying it’s disrespectful to Lord Ram, while the government may also enforce it in Mathura.
— With agency inputs
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