The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government on Friday declared November 25 as “no non-veg day” on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sadhu TL Vaswani.

According to the notification issued by the state government, all slaughterhouses and meat shops will remain closed on Saturday.

“It is to inform that the birth anniversaries of our country’s great men who propounded the Doctrine of Non-Violence are celebrated as ‘Non-Violence’ days. As we celebrate Mahavir Jayanti, Buddha Jayanti, Gandhi Jayanti and Sadhu TL Vaswani Jayanti, the UP government has been issuing notifications to keep the slaughterhouses closed in the state,” the notification of the UP government said.

“On the occasion of birth anniversary of Sadhu TL Vaswani on November 25, 2023, it has been decided that all the slaughterhouses will remain closed,” the notification read.

The government has asked authorities to make sure that the order is followed strictly across the state.

Sadhu Thanwardas Lilaram Vaswani, an educationist who started the Mira Movement, was born on November 25, 1879.Born in a Sindhi family in Hyderabad Sindh (now in Pakistan), raised his voice for the education and liberation of women in the country. A gifted orator and writer, Vaswani also advocated for a vegetarian lifestyle.

Vaswani died on January 16, 1966, at the age of 86. A museum dedicated to his life and teaching was opened in Pune. Sadhu Vaswani’s birthday on November 25 is also recognised as International Meatless Day.

The recent announcement by the UP government came days after it in a decisive step against the illegal issuance of ‘Halal Certificates’, came out with an order forbidding the production, storage, distribution, and sale of food products with Halal certification with immediate effect. However, products manufactured for export will not be subject to the restrictions.