SDMC mayor urges CM Kejriwal to shut liquor shops during Navratri

South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Mayor Mukesh Suryan on Monday wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and urged him to issue orders to shut liquor shops during the festival of Navratri till April 11.

In his letter to Kejriwal, Suryan said that "religious sentiments of devotees are affected" when they come across liquor shops on their way to temples to offer daily prayers to goddess Durga during Navratri.

He said during the period of Navratri, devotees observe fast for nine days with a strict vegetarian diet and abstain from non-vegetarian food items, alcohol and also certain spices.

Suryan said that people drink alcohol outside liquor shops and create a "an atmosphere of fear" for devotees.

"Keeping in view the sentiments and feelings of the general public, please issue necessary directions to officials to shut liquor shops during the Navratri (from April 2 to 11) and also take action against those drinking outside such shops," Suryan said in his letter.

Earlier in the day, Suryan had asked the SDMC commissioner to shut meat shops during Navratri.