Aligarh Muslim University Students Can’t Stomach The Shift From Buff To Paneer And Vegetables

"We are forced to eat vegetables. This is really not acceptable."

Updated on: 30 March 2017 4:01 pm

The crackdown on 'illegal' slaughterhouses together with the indefinite strike by meat shop owners protesting against the same have all messes at Aligarh Muslim University serve vegetarian meals to the hostelers, much to their dismay.

The students of AMU have written to the Vice Chanceller seeking his intervention. In response, the management has said that it has no means to arrange for over 500 kgs of meat every day for 19 dining halls in hostels when there are no abattoirs functional in Aligarh, reports The Times Of India.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi tweeted about their plight, giving the issue a political turn. He tweeted, "15000 students in Aligarh Muslim University have not been served meat (buffalo) since 26 March and BJP says we are not targeting?"

Students are agitated over the recent turn of events that have hampered their meal requirements and forced them into vegetarianism. AMUSU president Faizul Hassan told the newspaper "We are forced to eat vegetables. This is really not acceptable."

After coming to power, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered closure of illegal slaughterhouses and strict enforcement of the ban on cow smuggling to fulfil a key electoral promise.

BJP Chief Amit Shah had in his election meetings emphasised that the moment his party comes to power in the state, it would ban all slaughter houses.

The crackdown on slaughterhouses however impacted many, from numerous meat shops including the legendary Tunday Kebabi of Lucknow that was forced to serve the unpopular chicken kebabs to the carnivores in UP zoos who were forced to switch over to mutton and chicken which is not going down well with the big cats and is also burdening the exchequer.

Clarifying that the closure is only limited to 'illegal' slaughterhouses, Health Minister Sidharth Nath Singh had said "The NGT had in 2015 observed that illegal slaughter houses are a concern for the environment, while insisting on their closure. However, the previous government did not do anything to ensure the closure of these illegal abattoirs."