Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 7 (ANI): Muslim cleric Syed Saif Abbas Naqvi on Sunday supported the Varanasi Municipal Corporation's decision to shift meat and fish shops outside the city limits, saying similar restrictions should also apply to liquor shops near pilgrimage sites.

Speaking to ANI, Naqvi said places of worship and pilgrimage sites of all communities should be respected.

'I would go a step further and say that wherever there are pilgrimage sites, just as restrictions are placed on meat and fish, liquor shops should also be removed; they should be relocated outside the city,' he said.

Naqvi said the issue of meat and non-vegetarian food should not be linked only to Muslims, pointing to broader consumption patterns in the country.

'Everyone ought to respect the places of worship and pilgrimage sites of any community. As for meat, fish, chicken, or non-vegetarian food, this issue should not be linked solely to Muslims,' he said.

He further said that Muslims account for only a portion of meat consumption in India.

'If you look at the whole of India, Muslims constitute about 20 per cent of the population. Even if every single Muslim ate meat, that would account for only 20 per cent of non-vegetarian consumption. However, statistics indicate that 50-60 per cent of people consume meat. This implies that 30-35 per cent of people from other communities also eat meat,' he added.

The remarks came after the Varanasi Municipal Corporation decided to relocate meat and fish shops outside the city limits as part of efforts to keep the city organised and clean.

According to the Municipal Corporation, under this initiative, all meat and fish shops will be relocated outside the city limits. The roadmap for this move was finalised and the proposal approved during a House meeting, presided over by Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari.

Municipal Commissioner Himanshu Nagpal informed the House that five locations have been selected for the first phase of the plan. All these sites are situated near the city's outer boundaries to ensure no inconvenience to the general public.

In the coming days, meat and fish shops currently operating within the city will be shifted to the Ramnagar, Sujabad, Ganeshpur, Awaleshpur, and Shivpur areas. (ANI)