Sena workers outside a meat shop in Sonipat. 
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The Haryana unit of Shiv Sena on Sunday (March 30, 2025) forced the “illegal” meat shop owners in Sonipat to down their shutters and threatened them to remain shut during the Navaratri festival

Haryana Shiv Sena president Neeraj Sethi told The Hindu over phone that all meat shops across the State would be shut during the festival. He said that he had directed all district presidents of the party to make sure that meat shops in their respective areas remained closed.

On whether the action of the Shiv Sena was not illegal, Mr. Sethi said that the Shiv Sainiks had only “requested” the shop owners to down the shutters and everyone obliged.

Led by the party’s Haryana vice-president Pawan Khatri and Sonipat district president Manoj Gurjar, the Shiv Sainiks went around the market in the Kundli area asking around half-a-dozen meat shop owners to down their shutters. “We will always work actively for Hindutava and not allow any meat shop to operate during Navaratis. If they don’t adhere then we will use our own method,” said Mr. Khatri, in an over one-minute video.