A ban on non-vegetarian food had already been imposed in the Ayodhya area. Now, the Uttar Pradesh government has extended this directive to the Ayodhya and Panchkoshi Parikrama routes as well. The decision was taken on Friday.
This rule will be effective not only in shops, hotels, and restaurants, but also for online food delivery companies, including Swiggy and Zomato. According to sources, the ban on non-vegetarian food will apply equally to physical outlets and online delivery platforms operating in the area.
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Administration cites religious and cultural sanctity
The Yogi Adityanath administration has explained the reason behind the decision. Officials stated that the step has been taken to preserve the religious and cultural sanctity of the region. In addition to eateries and delivery platforms, serving non-vegetarian food will also be prohibited in guesthouses and homestays.
The state administration has announced that continuous surveillance will be carried out to ensure compliance with the directive. Strict monitoring will be conducted to identify any violations.
Notably, last year, a ban had already been imposed on the sale of alcohol and meat in the Ayodhya area. The Ayodhya Municipal Corporation had also announced that items such as paan and gutka could not be sold there.
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Administration officials said that although non-vegetarian food was banned in shops and hotels, the restriction earlier did not apply to online delivery applications. This loophole had drawn objections from local residents, who complained that many tourists were ordering non-vegetarian food online, which they felt hurt religious sentiments.
Uttar Pradesh Assistant Food Commissioner Manik Chandra stated that the decision regarding online food delivery was taken after these complaints were received. He confirmed that hotels, restaurants, and online food delivery companies have been informed about the directive and warned that strict legal action will be taken if it is violated.
