NEW DELHI: Union Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said that it is wrong to give a “communal” colour to the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to shutdown the illegal slaughterhouses in the state.

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

Referring to a 2016 report, Naidu said the newly formed state government is not targetting any legal slaughterhouse. “In Uttar Pradesh, the action is only being taken against illegal slaughterhouses. No legal slaughterhouse is being targetted. There is a report saying only one slaughterhouse has valid permit out of 126 in UP. This report is of April 27, 2016,” he said at the launch of online film certification system of CBFC. The Information and Broadcasting Minister requested people to not give the crackdown a communal colour. “I request people to not create a hue and cry and create unnecessary doubts in the minds of people. Giving this a political and communal angle is not right and opportunist. On behalf of the government I wanted to tell the truth to the people,” he said. The Uttar Pradesh government has also stressed that it was acting only against the illegal abattoirs. In a series of tweets, Naidu said, “In April ’16, UP Pollution Control Board informed NGT (National Green Tribunal) that only 1 of 126 slaughterhouses in the state is operating with valid permission. “#UP PCB further told NGT in Aug’ 16 that it would not allow slaughterhouses to run without valid consent under Water Act & Air Act.” Meat sellers across the state today went on an indefinite strike against the crackdown on illegal and mechanised slaughterhouses.–PTI