Bageshwar Baba demands permanent ban on meat and liquor sales in Brij Dham ahead of Diwali

Religious preacher Bageshwar Baba demanded the immediate and permanent revocation of licenses for all commercial establishments selling meat and liquor within the Brij Dham region ahead of Diwali while addressing the media and his supporters in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.

Describing his demand as a “mangal kamana” (blessed wish), he urged authorities to cancel all such licenses and ensure these establishments are relocated outside the Brij Dham area.

This call for a permanent ban is one of the seven key resolutions guiding an upcoming 10-day Diwali pad yatra (pilgrimage march), scheduled to take place from November 7 to November 16. The yatra will begin in Delhi and conclude in Vrindavan. The preacher urged all Brij Dham residents to join the yatra, claiming, “Brij residents walk ahead, and we will follow behind them.”

The Baba made his demand during an Akshat distribution ceremony—a one-day event held in Mathura. During his address, he also called for unity among Hindus, pledging: “Jaat-paat ki karo vidaai, hum sab Hindu bhai-bhai” (cast away casteism; we are all Hindu brothers).