Ghaziabad: On July 17, members of the Hindu Raksha Dal protested outside a KFC restaurant in the Vasundhara area of Ghaziabad. The group entered the restaurant, shouted religious slogans like “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Shri Ram,” and forced it to shut down. They also pulled down the shutters and waved saffron flags during the protest.
The protest took place during the holy month of Sawan, when many Hindus take part in the Kanwar Yatra, a religious pilgrimage.
The group said that selling non-vegetarian food near the Kanwar route during this time is disrespectful to the devotees. They claimed that the smell of meat from restaurants nearby hurts the religious sentiments of the pilgrims.
The Hindu Raksha Dal demanded closure of non-vegetarian restaurants within 100–200 metres of the Kanwar route during Sawan and warned of larger protests. A viral video showed protests outside KFC and Nazir. Police registered an FIR against 10 unidentified persons. Investigations are ongoing, confirmed ACP Abhishek Srivastava.