Day after returning to power in Rajasthan, a BJP MLA Balmukund Acharya on Sunday directed the official to shut down all the non-veg street food vendors in Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal area. The BJPreturned to power in Rajasthan after bagging 115 of 199 seats. The saffron party dislodged the Ashok Gehlot-led government after five years.
In a video circulating on social media, Acharya can be seen purportedly directing an official on the call to ensure non-veg food stalls in the Chandi Ki Taksal area are removed.
▪️We are in 2023 and this person is elected MLA from Rajasthan assembly.
▪️His priority is to ban meat shops around Hawa Mahal area in Jaipur.
▪️BJP’s WCD minister owns restaurant in Goa selling pork & beef.
▪️Has BJP got courage to ban her restaurant from selling meat.
▪️If… pic.twitter.com/CTbhTsNScq— Priyamwada (@PriaINC) December 4, 2023
“Can non-veg be sold in the open on the road? Answer in yes or no. Are you endorsing them? “Remove the roadside shops selling non-vegetarian at Chandi Ki Taksal area. Check their licences. I will take a report from you in the evening. Do I have to come to you to collect the report or you will come?” he said.
Acharya said the street vendors making non-veg seen on roadsides should not be seen from immediate effect. “I will take a report from you in the evening,” he said.
Balmukund defeated Congress leader Rewati Raman Tiwari by 914 votes in the Hawa Mahal constituency which has a sizeable Muslim electorate.
During the campaign, the seer had claimed that scores of temples in the Hawa Mahal area were demolished as a part of a conspiracy and had assured the people that if voted to power, these would be rebuilt.
Founding Editor of The Jamia Times. An alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia, he previously worked with The Quint and Maktoob Media, focusing on hate crimes, marginalised communities, and democratic rights in India. His reporting has documented custodial torture, caste and communal violence, and the everyday struggles of vulnerable groups across Uttar Pradesh and beyond. His work has also appeared in national and international outlets, amplifying grassroots stories to wider audiences.