The Rampurhat Municipality in Birbhum has ordered three meat shops in the town’s Court Gali area to remain closed on November 15 and 16 during Chhath Puja, citing religious sentiments and the use of the road by devotees.
The directive, issued on Friday, also instructs the shopkeepers to keep meat from slaughtered animals, including goats, sheep and rams, covered with red cloth on other days. The order has triggered a political dispute, with opposition parties alleging that the Trinamool Congress-run civic body is trying to appease the BJP.
Rampurhat Municipality chairman Soumen Bhakta said the restriction was limited to the three shops because animals were slaughtered in full public view on their premises. “The shops openly slaughter animals on the premises. That is why we have directed them to remain closed for the two days of Chhath Puja. The decision has been taken to respect the sentiments of everyone,” he said.
A civic official said the road where the shops are located is used by devotees during Chhath Puja. The order therefore links the temporary closure to the management of a public route during the festival, while also placing a separate covering requirement on the shops for days when they remain open.
The three shop owners said this was the first time the municipality had issued such an order. One of them said the owners were informed by phone that the shops would have to remain closed on November 15 and 16 and were told to contact the officer-in-charge of the police station if they had objections.
The shopkeeper said the closure would cause significant losses because November 15 falls on a Sunday. He said the municipality could instead have asked the shops to use curtains or keep their shutters down while continuing business, but added that the owners would comply with the civic directive.
The order has also raised questions about how municipal authorities regulate activities that are considered visible from public streets, particularly when those streets serve as routes for religious gatherings. The available account does not indicate whether the municipality issued similar restrictions during previous festivals or whether a written process for such closures exists.
CPI(M) and Congress leaders criticised the decision, describing it as an attempt to import practices from other states and create social divisions. Former Congress MLA Milton Rashid alleged that the move was politically motivated and claimed that local councillors were seeking to protect their positions ahead of the next civic elections. These allegations were not independently established in the report.
The BJP defended the directive. Party spokesperson Debjit Sarkar said those who considered the issue insignificant were free to approach the court, adding that the judiciary was open to everyone.
The three shops are required to remain closed on November 15 and 16. The municipality’s additional instruction on covering meat from slaughtered animals will apply on other days, according to the report.
