‘Not right', says deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar as more cities join Independence Day meat ban in Maharashtra

Time of India

4 days ago

Thane: With protests intensifying against Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation's (KDMC) order to shut all slaughterhouses and meat shops in its jurisdiction on Independence Day, deputy CM Ajit Pawar Tuesday said he did not agree with the ban.
"I can understand a ban for a few days when it is a question of faith.... But a ban on national days will be difficult," he said.
Amid the controversy, a few more municipal corporations, including Nagpur and Malegaon, Tuesday decided to ban meat and animal slaughter on Aug 15.
KDMC additional municipal commissioner Yogesh Godse said the order is in line with a 1989 state govt directive implemented annually in several corporations.
"This is not a ban on eating meat. Anyone can consume meat if they choose, but slaughterhouses and shops will remain shut for the day," he said.
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Municipal commissioner Abhinav Goel said KDMC has issued the order for the last 15 years. "If people are protesting, we will definitely take their sentiments into account," he said.
While urban development department principal secretary K H Govindraj did not respond to media queries, officials clarified there is no state govt mandate for a meat ban on Independence Day, and local bodies decide on such matters based on civic resolutions.
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The KDMC order has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, citizens, and the Hindu Khatik community, which is traditionally engaged in the meat trade, who argued that the ban infringes on personal choice and unfairly targets a particular community.
Among the voices against the ban was Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aditya Thackeray who demanded suspension of the KDMC commissioner. "What we eat on Independence Day is our right.
In my home, even on Navratri, our prasad includes prawns and fish — this is our tradition and our Hinduism," Thackeray said.
Calling out the KDMC order, Pawar said: "I can understand a ban for a few days when it is a question of faith. For instance, on Ashadhi Ekadashi, Mahashivratri and Mahavir Jayanti. But a ban on national days like Republic or Independence Day, will be difficult. In our country and state, some people are vegetarian and others are non-vegetarian."
He added that in several communities, non-vegetarian fare was part of the traditional cuisine. "In the Konkan, people add fish to their vegetables. It is not correct to ban their food. In the rural areas, people cut a goat before an event. Even the adivasi community is largely non-vegetarian," he pointed out.
Shiv Sena MLA Vishwanath Bhoir, however, supported the KDMC order, remarking that "no one will be harmed by not eating meat for a day".
Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh accused KDMC of arbitrarily targeting a particular community. "These bans hurt the local economy and farming sector. Such orders are never imposed on fish markets — only on meat traders," he said.
NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad condemned the ban, claiming it violates personal freedom. He even vowed to eat mutton at a house in Dombivli on Aug 15 in protest. Former MNS MLA Pramod Patil also lashed out at KDMC and asked whether non-vegetarian restaurants, like KFC and McDonald's, would also be forced to down shutters on Aug 15. "No such ban exists in Thane, Ulhasnagar, or Navi Mumbai. Why has our commissioner decided this? Everyone has the freedom to eat what they want," Patil said, demanding the order's immediate withdrawal and urging police to ensure peace.
The Hindu Khatik community has warned of staging a symbolic protest by setting up a meat shop outside the KDMC office on Aug 15 if the order is not withdrawn.
(Inputs by Priyanka Kakodkar)
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