Prepare plan to shut down slaughterhouses: Yogi to UP police

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday directed police officials to prepare an action plan for closure of abattoirs in the state.

He also ordered a blanket ban on smuggling of cows.

Earlier, the UP government had said that only illegal cow slaughterhouses in the state would be shut down.

On Tuesday, authorities sealed an illegal slaughterhouse in Varanasi, which they claimed had been operating clandestinely despite being shut down in 2012.

A joint team of Pollution Control Board, municipal authorities, along with administrative and police officials sealed the slaughterhouse and also recovered over five dozen cattle.

Officials said that the slaughterhouse was sealed after the caretakers were unable to furnish valid papers for the cattle.

The caretakers it is learnt told authorities that the cattle had been brought in temporarily and were to be transferred to other places. They also denied that animals were being slaughtered, it is learnt.

However, not convinced, the authorities decided to seal the abattoir.

Earlier, shortly after Adityanath took oath two days back, authorities had sealed two slaughterhouses in Allahabad.

The BJP had announced, in its manifesto titled 'Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra', that it would take "stern steps to close down all illegal slaughterhouses besides banning mechanised slaughterhouses" if it comes to power.