The first announcements made by the new chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, after his debut cabinet meeting on Wednesday were drives against non-vegetarian retail and loudspeakers that violate rules.

The X handle of the pro-RSS weekly Panchajanya indicated the chief minister’s obvious target. It tweeted an image of Yadav beside that of a loudspeaker on a minaret — the type seen atop mosques and used for issuing calls to prayer.

"Not a single unauthorised loudspeaker should be seen! Big blow to fundamentalists in Madhya Pradesh!” the Panchajanya post said.

This isn’t the first drive against these two markers — now identified with Muslims. Calls for banning mosque loudspeakers have come from several BJP leaders in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

In Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Adityanath has consolidated his support base by cracking down on “unauthorised” loudspeakers.

Yadav’s statement, issued after the cabinet meeting, said: “After food safety rules came into force, to run a meat or egg shop in the open, the Centre has issued directions. We in the cabinet have asked for preparations to implement it strictly.”

An order from the state’s urban development and housing department to municipal bodies clarified that the drive, to be undertaken from December 15 to 31, would cover only meat and fish.

Urban bodies have been asked to act against those selling without a licence — a common practice — and those violating the licence norms of hygiene, safe disposal and lack of visibility to those outside the shop.

A government media release on Wednesday said: “Flying squads will be set up in all districts to inquire into matters of illegal use of loudspeakers etc. to check sound pollution, according to the decision.

“The state government has taken this decision in accordance with the provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Noise Control Act, Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rule 2000, at religious places and other places in Madhya Pradesh and the guidelines issued from time to time by the Supreme Court and the high court…. Efforts will be made to remove loudspeakers after having dialogues with the religious leaders on the basis of coordination.”

Bhopal-based Congress spokesperson Anshul Trivedi called the steps “an attempt by a puppet CM to bolster his image”.

He told The Telegraph: “His (Yadav’s) muddled-up and unscientific pronouncements in a state where the majority is not vegetarian is undemocratic and unethical. It exposes the BJP that allows beef in Goa and the Northeast but won’t allow easy access to affordable proteins like eggs in a state with high malnutrition.”