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- By Parinda News Bureau, February 27, 2006, 12:55 IST
Mumbai: Congress spokesperson and former Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Nirupam has condemned the Sena's action of targeting and shutting down poultry and meat shops in Andheri (east) area. The MIDC, Andheri police have registered a complaint of rioting against 20 persons in the matter.
Sena's former Vibhagh Pramukh Subhash Kanta Sawant claimed on Friday that the shops.operating at Chakala in Andheri East were unlicensed and posed a health hazard due to unhygienic conditions and methods used by the shopkeepers for storing and cleaning poultry. "Since the civic commissioner has ordered the ward officers to shut down the illegal chicken shops, we decided to extend a helping hand. The shops are a threat to the health," Sawant said after one such unauthorised raid.
The shop owners, however, claim that the Sena has targeted poultry shops belonging to members of a particular minority community and is giving a communal twist to the entire drive. "There are several shops and carts selling Chinese, south Indian, vada pav and other foodstuff like chaat and bhel. They also do not follow hygiene standards. In fact; our chicken comes from the best poultry farms outside Mumbai. Why are only our shops targeted?" asked Mohammed Sheikh, whose shop was ransacked and forcibly shut down by Sawant and his party workers at' Chakala on Wednesday Nirupam felt there is no fear of Bird flu in Maharashtra and particularly in Mumbai.
"There is no reported case of Bird Flu in humans as yet in Maharashtra," Nirupam pointed out.
Condemning the Sena action, he added that there is a legal system and procedure in place.' "The Sainiks should not take over the job of the BMC. If they have any complaints they should contact the Ward Officer and the local police," Nirupam advised.
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