Forced to shut business? Meat sellers turn Chai Wallahs in Uttar Pradesh

According to a report, three meat sellers in Uttar Pradesh have been forced to sell tea after their 'legal' business got closed.

Lucknow, March 30: The meat seller and butcher community across Uttar Pradesh is an unhappy lot, these days. After the new Bharatiya Janata Party government under chief minister Adityanath Yogi initiated crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses, many in the meat business allege that they have been denied their livelihood opportunities, in spite of possessing legal documents.

However, the Uttar Pradesh government has assured that those who are legally running the meat business won't be harassed and the crackdown is only against illegal ones.

In spite of all these promises by the state government, many butchers and meat sellers claim that they have become jobless now. According to a report by the news agency, ANI, three meat sellers in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, have turned tea sellers, after they were allegedly forced to close their parent business in spite of having all legal documents.

"Uttar Pradesh: Three meat sellers in Muzaffarnagar turn to tea business. Claim that their shops have been closed even as they had license," tweeted ANI. "My meat shop has been forcefully closed even when I had proper license. I am forced to sell tea now," Nazakat, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, told ANI.

Because of the action against illegal slaughterhouses, the entire state is facing meat and fish shortages. The meat sellers and butchers recently went on a strike, alleging that the action against illegal business has also impacted the legal ones.

They say 'over-enthusiastic' officials have also targeted the ones who had permit to run their respective businesses. Reports say the crackdown on illegal meat business in the state will leave millions jobless.

OneIndia News