Complete liquor ban imposed in parts of Mathura

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday imposed a complete liquor ban in Mathura’s Baldev, Gokul, Govardhan, Nandgaon, Radha-kund areas, reported the ANI.

The ban comes in the wake of calls from Hindu religious groups wanting Mathura to be included among the holy city along the same lines as Vrindavan and Barsana- the two towns where a complete ban was imposed on the sale of meat and liquor in October 2017.

The state government has reportedly issued orders to closed down 32 liquor vends as well. However, a decision on whether a blanket ban will be imposed against the sale of alcohol and meat on the entire city is yet to be made.

The city and the two towns are linked to Lord Krishna. While Mathura is said to be the birthplace of the Hindu deity, Vrindavan is where he grew up. Barsana, on the other hand, is where Radha, a close friend of Krishna, grew up.

For this reason, there were calls to ban meat and liquor in these three areas.

In Mathura, however, the situation was unlike Vrindavan and Barsana. Here, the proposal to impose a twin ban could impact the Muslim population who were involved in the sale non-vegetarian food.

The move could spark protests among people whose businesses the ban is likely to impact. In an interview with Economic Times, Radhe Shyam, a shopkeeper in Mathura had told: “There could be tensions in Mathura if the step is taken. There have been problems already after the closure of the illegal slaughterhouses after the new BJP government took charge.”

Source : Economic Times