- By Chetna Shree
- Fri, 18 Jul 2025 03:32 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Members of the Hindu Raksha Dal staged protests outside KFC and Nazeer restaurants in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, demanding a ban on non-vegetarian food sales during the holy month of Sawan. A video of the incident went viral on the internet, in which the ‘Hindu Raksha Dal’ members can be holding saffron flags in their hands, chanting slogans like ‘Jai Sri Ram’ and ‘Har Har Mahadev’ and forcibly pulling down the shutter of the KFC outlet, demanding a ban on sale of the non-vegetarain items during Sawan. In a similar incident, several people staged a protest outside a local eatery, Nazeer, disrupting operations and leading to the temporary shutdown of the outlet.
Members of a right-wing group stormed a #KFC store in #Ghaziabad, #UttarPradesh, and forced it to pull down its shutters, demanding a ban on non-vegetarian food during the month of #Shravan.#Sawan2025 #Shravan2025 pic.twitter.com/I4iYenHq3i
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) July 18, 2025
The incident took place at a KFC outlet in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad and a local eatery, Nazir, on July 18 and was recorded on camera. The right-wing outfit’s members entered the outlet premises, confronted the staff and demanded a shutdown.
“All of these items (non-veg) should be banned in the month of Sawan,” a protester said. In the viral video, the protestors are seen arguing with the staff, insisting that the outlet should serve only vegetarian food during the month of Sawan.
However, the protestors did not engage in any kind of physical violence but insisted that the staff ban the sale of non-vegetarian food items during the month dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Why Non-Vegetarian Items Are Prohibited During Sawan?
Sawan, also known as Shravan, is considered a holy month in the Hindu calendar dedicated to Lord Shiva. Many observe fasts during the month of Sawan and refrain from consuming meat, alcohol and even onion and garlic.
During the month of Sawan, the Kanwar Yatra is held, where Kanwariyas collect Ganga water to offer to Lord Shiva. During the Kanwar Yatra, local authorities impose restrictions on the sale of meat. The authorities have banned the sale of meat along the Kanwar Yatra route in 2025. However, no statewide ban is in place.