Ram Mandir event: Assam bans sale of non-veg

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced that all the meat shops and the slaughterhouses will remain closed till 4 pm on January 22 in view of the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Sarma asked restaurants in the state not to serve any non-vegetarian food items till 2 pm on the occasion of 'Pran Pratishtha'. The Assam government has also declared Monday as 'Dry Day' in order to maintain the religious sanctity of the event. It has also announced the closure of all educational institutes.

Sarma has urged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to reconsider the route of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' on Monday. "I urge Rahul Gandhi to not create a notion that there is a competition between Ram Temple and Batadrava Satra because the TV channels will be flashing Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha ceremony on one side and him visiting Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva's birthplace on the other side. Two windows will be played together on TV showing both events, which I think will not be good for Assam. He can go to Batadrava after 2 pm or in the morning hours. I feel it will be good if he does not visit Batadrava during those 2-3 hours," Sarma asserted.


bikash.singh@timesgroup.com