Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on Thursday said he has directed officials concerned to remove all illegal meat and fish shops.

During the Question Hour, BJP member Karnail Singh raised concern over meat being “sold openly on footpaths and roadside shops” ahead of the nine-day Navratri festival.

In response, the Minister said, “All officials have been instructed. If anyone [meat seller] is sitting anywhere illegally, he/she should be removed.”

He urged House members to report instances of encroachment in their constituencies and assured them that a drive would be launched to address the issue.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh accused the BJP of “selective targeting”. “If the BJP has the real courage, they should shut restaurants and liquor shops as well during Navratri,” he said.

The AAP leader alleged that on the one hand, the BJP is distributing Id kits to Muslims, while on the other, it is “targeting small-scale meat vendors”.