Agitating meat sellers and exporters held talks with Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddhartha Nath Singh on the second day of their strike on Tuesday but no rapprochement appeared in sight.
“We have noted all the issues raised by them with an open mind. The Uttar Pradesh government will not allow anything illegal to happen,” Mr. Singh said, after the meeting, as he directed officials not to overstep their jurisdiction.
The office-bearers of the associations have submitted a memorandum to the State government and now want to meet Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
“We look forward to working with them within the system. If needed, we will meet again,” Mr. Singh said. “We are acting only against illegal abattoirs. Licensed slaughter houses are requested to stick to norms. They should comply with the norms mentioned in the licence and need not fear. No orders have been issued to take action against any shop selling chicken, fish or eggs,” he said.
Mr. Singh said that if officials were insisting on checking the licence of meat shops, there was “nothing wrong”. “We are acting as per law and not on the basis of any pre-conceived notions,” he said.
“The strike will continue at least till the end of Navaratra [April 5]. It may be extended further depending upon the outcome of talks,” Mubeen Qureshi, an office-bearer of the Lucknow Bakra Gosht Vyapar Mandal said. The sale of fish, eggs and chicken was normal in Lucknow but for mutton lovers the disappointment continued.
