Haridwar | A group of seers, led by the Akhand Parshuram Akhada, has launched a campaign in Uttarakhand's Haridwar to ban the sale of food under the name "veg biryani".

The group is demanding that shopkeepers and street vendors replace the term with "veg pulao".

Volunteers are pasting "veg pulao" stickers over the word "veg biryani" on signboards and street carts across the town, asserting that the term carries "non-vegetarian connotations" that hurt the religious sentiments of devotees.

Pandit Adheer Kaushik, president of the Akhand Parshuram Akhada, said that under the local municipal body bylaws, the sale and consumption of meat, liquor and eggs is prohibited in certain areas of Haridwar.

"Biryani is essentially a non-vegetarian dish. Even if local shopkeepers do not use meat, the word itself hurts the sentiments of vegetarians," Kaushik said.

He added that dishes like "kebab" and "chaap" are also associated with non-vegetarian cuisine, and the next phase of their campaign will target these names. The organisation has written to the municipal commissioner requesting that hotels and restaurants remove these words from their menus.

Kaushik also claimed that online food delivery applications are supplying non-vegetarian food in the restricted zones, and said he has urged the district magistrate to impose a ban on such services.

While there is no pan-city ban on meat, pre-independence bylaws prohibit its sale in the main areas, including Kankhal and Har Ki Pauri.

"The civic body is concerned about not allowing the sale of non-vegetarian food items. Neither can we stop people from selling in permitted areas, nor can we encourage people to stop them. The matter comes under law and order," Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar told PTI.

The initiative has received backing from the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, the apex body of Hindu ascetics, which declared that names of food items sold in the sacred city must strictly conform to its "ancient Sanatan traditions".

"The use of the word biryani is inappropriate for the city," Mahant Ravindrapuri, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, said.

Extending his support, Ravindrapuri, who also heads the Mansa Devi Trust, claimed that biryani is linked to meat dishes, making it "contrary to the culture of Haridwar". Food items with the name biryani would not be allowed at any shop, hotel or cart within the municipal limits, he added.

The seers said their movement is not aimed at disrupting anyone's livelihood but is strictly about the nomenclature of the food, and that they are approaching shopkeepers peacefully to persuade them.

According to the organisers, this "public awareness campaign" will continue to preserve the cultural identity of the town ahead of major events like the Kanwar Yatra, beginning next month, and the 2027 Kumbh Mela.

SP (City) Abhay Pratap Singh said legal action will be taken against any activity in the notified areas that violates restrictions or hurts public sentiments. He stressed that law and order would be "maintained at all costs".