The Delhi government has announced five dry days in the first quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal year, mandating the closure of liquor shops on key religious occasions. The order, issued under Rule 52 of the Delhi Excise Rules, 2010, applies to all liquor licensees in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
According to the notification, liquor outlets will remain shut on the following days: Ram Navami (6 April), Mahavir Jayanti (10 April), Good Friday (18 April), Buddha Purnima (12 May), and Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) (7 June). The Excise Department has directed all licensees to display the order prominently at their establishments. Additionally, it clarified that licensees would not be entitled to any compensation for the closures.
No Meat, But Liquor Allowed? AAP MP Sanjay Singh Questions UP Govt
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh has criticised the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to ban meat sales near religious sites during Ram Navami. Speaking to news agency ANI, he questioned why liquor shops and fast-food outlets such as KFC and McDonald’s were allowed to remain open while meat sales were being restricted.
“Yogi Adityanath should add two more things to this. Nearby liquor shops and restaurants where meat is sold should also be closed… Within 500 metres on the highways in Uttar Pradesh, you will find temples, KFC, McDonald’s, and many shops. You should close all the shops. Why should liquor shops, KFC, or McDonald’s remain open?” Singh remarked.
The Uttar Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has issued strict directives to shut down illegal slaughterhouses and enforce a ban on meat sales within a 500-metre radius of religious sites. Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department, Amrit Abhijat, has instructed District Magistrates, Police Commissioners, and Municipal Commissioners to ensure the closure of unauthorised slaughterhouses and strict enforcement of the ban.
Citing previous orders from 2014 and 2017, the state government reiterated its stance on prohibiting illegal animal slaughter and meat sales near religious places. District-level committees, headed by District Magistrates and comprising officials from the police, Pollution Control Board, Animal Husbandry Department, Transport Department, Labour Department, Health Department, and Food Safety Administration, have been formed to oversee the implementation. The ban will be strictly enforced on 6 April 2025, coinciding with Ram Navami.
Under the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1959, and the Food Safety Acts of 2006 and 2011, authorities have been instructed to take stringent action against violators.
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