Muslim eatery demolished after Hindu group opposes meat sales in India
Demolition came during major Hindu pilgrimage despite no nationwide ban on selling meat, raising fresh concerns over restrictions affecting Muslim-owned businesses
NEW DELHI, India (MNTV) — A Muslim-owned restaurant in northern India was demolished by authorities after members of a Hindu extremist group objected to it selling chicken during one of Hinduism’s holiest pilgrimage seasons, adding to concerns over the growing impact of religious restrictions on minority-owned businesses.
The demolition took place in Baheri, a town in Uttar Pradesh state, along the route of the Kanwar Yatra, an annual pilgrimage in which millions of Hindu devotees carry sacred water to temples dedicated to the god Shiva.
During the pilgrimage, many participants abstain from meat as part of their religious observance.
According to local officials, members of the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu militant organization, complained that the restaurant was selling chicken biryani near the pilgrimage route.
Police detained the owner, Mohd Salman, describing the move as a preventive measure to avoid a disturbance to public order.
Municipal authorities later demolished the eatery, saying it had been built illegally over a drainage channel as part of an ongoing anti-encroachment campaign.
Salman’s family, however, said the restaurant had been operating regularly before the objections were raised and that they had apologized after being confronted by Bajrang Dal members.
Authorities in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh had earlier instructed meat vendors operating along parts of the pilgrimage route not to sell non-vegetarian food during the Hindu month of Sawan.
Similar restrictions have been imposed in previous years, with officials arguing they are intended to respect the religious sentiments of pilgrims.
Analysts, however, say such measures disproportionately affect Muslim-owned businesses, many of which rely on the sale of meat for their livelihoods.
They have also questioned requirements imposed on food outlets along some pilgrimage routes to publicly display owners’ names and licensing details, arguing the measures can make it easier to identify and avoid businesses owned by religious minorities.
The latest demolition comes after several violent incidents linked to this year’s Kanwar Yatra.
These include attacks on vehicles, clashes involving pilgrims, and the fatal assault of a Muslim driver who was beaten by a Hindu mob after transporting poultry during the pilgrimage season.
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