Wrong to ban meat sale in civic areas on Aug 15: Ajit Pawar
Maharashtra
deputy CM
Ajit Pawar
Tuesday criticised orders by some civic bodies to shut slaughterhouses and meat shops on Aug 15, calling such bans wrong.
"These restrictions are imposed on faith-related occasions like Ashadhi Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, or Mahavir Jayanti.
Maharashtra has people who eat both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food," he said.
"If it is an emotional issue, people accept it for a day. But imposing it on Maharashtra Day, I-Day, or Republic Day is difficult."
Sambhajinagar civic body has ordered closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops on Aug 15 for Gokul Ashtami and on Aug 20 for 'Paryushan Parva', a Jain festival marked by fasting and prayer.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
4 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Staying in US beyond authorised date could result in visa revocation, possible deportation: Embassy
Illegal entry into the United States is not an option. Those who break U.S. law will be returned to their country or face criminal charges. — U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) August 13, 2025 Your authorized period of stay is the 'Admit Until Date' on your I-94, not your U.S. visa expiration date. Staying in the United States beyond your authorized date is called an 'overstay' and could result in a visa revocation, possible deportation, and ineligibility for future… — U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) August 18, 2025
Hans India
6 hours ago
- Hans India
Pakistan: Radical Islamists set ablaze two Ahmadiyya places of worship
A leading minority group on Monday condemned the violence against religious minorities in Pakistan, highlighting the recent torching of two Ahmadiyya places of worship by a mob led by leaders of the radical Islamist party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) mentioned that on the occasion of Pakistan's 78th Independence Day, extremists turned the country's streets into battlegrounds of hate. In Faisalabad district of Punjab province, two Ahmadiyya places of worship were set ablaze by the mob serving as an ugly reminder that in Pakistan, religious freedom remains an illusion. Citing police reports, the rights body revealed that more than 300 attackers, armed with rods and bricks, descended on Ahmadiyya worshippers under the cover of Independence Day processions in the Dijkot area. The VOPM highlighted that their main target was the two mosques built decades before Pakistan criminalized Ahmadiyya worship in 1984. They tore down minarets, delivered fiery hate speeches, and torched the buildings while hurling stones at nearby Ahmadiyya homes. The rights body stressed that the violent incident left families, including women and children terrorised, while several sustained injuries. According to the VOPM, the mob was reportedly led by TLP ticket-holder Hafiz Rafaqat, exposing once again how mainstream extremist groups openly incite violence under political and religious banners. It stated that TLP, notorious for its violent street power, enjoys immunity in Pakistan's political and judicial system while minorities pay the price. 'This was no spontaneous riot — it was organised terrorism, with cases now registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 and multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. Yet, history shows such cases rarely lead to real accountability. Arrests are made, but justice seldom follows, as extremist groups continue to act as untouchable power brokers,' read a statement issued by VOPM. The rights body emphasised that the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had, a day before the violent incident, warned about rising hate speech from clerics against non-Muslims. However, it said the warning was ignored and the Pakistani police response was reactionary, not preventive. Although 25 arrests were made, the VOPM noted that the police officials refused to confirm whether those detained included the nominated suspects. 'The silence of Faisalabad's police chief further reflects the institutional reluctance to confront extremism head-on,' said the rights body. Raising concern, the VOPM stressed that this is not an isolated incident but is part of a systemic, decades-long campaign against Ahmadiyyas and other minorities in Pakistan. 'From discriminatory laws to mob violence, the Pakistani state has allowed extremist ideologies to flourish unchecked. Every time the state bends to clerical power, it emboldens groups like TLP to dictate who belongs in the 'Islamic Republic' and who does not,' the VOPM stated. If Pakistan wants to have any credibility as a modern nation, the rights body demanded, then the authorities must crush extremist groups like TLP rather than appeasing them. Additionally, the VOPM called on to enforce Supreme Court rulings against hate speech and mob violence and also protect minorities as equal citizens, not "sacrificial pawns in a theocratic power game".
Economic Times
11 hours ago
- Economic Times
23% of total 56.04 crore PM Jan Dhan accounts inoperative
As many as 23 per cent of the total 56.04 crore Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) accounts are inoperative, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on of 56.03 crore PMJDY accounts at the end of July 31, 2025, 13.04 crore such accounts are inoperative, he said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of inoperative Jan Dhan accounts of 2.75 crore, followed by Bihar at 1.39 crore and Madhya Pradesh at 1.07 crore, he said. As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines dated February 18, 2009, a savings account should be treated as inoperative/dormant if there are no transactions in the account for over a period of two years. The government has taken various steps to ensure smooth functioning of PMJDY accounts, including Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). These benefits are transferred even to the inactive accounts. Banks inform account holders in writing through letters or email or SMS about the accounts which are to become inactive and also contact the holder(s) of the inoperative accounts through letters, email or SMS on a quarterly basis, he government launches various specific campaigns from time to time for promotion of enrolment under various schemes, as well as for issues like activation of inoperative accounts, he a Gram Panchayat level Saturation Campaign has been launched from July 1, 2025 to September 30, 2025 across the country wherein Re-KYC of 'inactive PMJDY accounts' is one of the key focus activities of the campaign, he to another question, Chaudhary said there is no proposal to impose transaction charges on UPI, at present. "In order to ensure continuity of the UPI services by the ecosystem partners, the government had implemented the incentive scheme during the last four years i.e. FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25. During this period, the government has extended incentive support of approximately Rs 8,730 crore," he said. In reply to another question, Chaudhary said Public Sector Banks (PSBs) raise capital from the market to meet their capital requirements from time to time. The robust financial strength of PSBs has boosted investors' confidence, enabling them to raise capital from the raise capital from the market in the form of equity, Basel III compliant Additional Tier-I andTier -II bonds.."Total amount of capital raised by PSBs in the form of both equity and bonds during the last three financial years (FY2022-23 to FY 2024-25) amounts to Rs 1,53,978 crore (Rs 44,942 crore in FY2022-23, Rs 57,380 crore in FY 2023-24 and Rs 51,656 core in FY 2024-25)," he fresh raising of capital by banks is used for various purposes, which included meeting the capital needs of banks to support credit growth, meeting regulatory requirements for capital adequacy, complying with minimum public shareholding norms by increasing public shareholding, replenishing AT-1 bonds due for exercising call option, strengthening the overall capital position ofthe bank and creating capital buffer for their future business requirements, he said. Replying to another question, Chaudhary said the ratio of Gross Non-Performing Assets in gold loans to the outstanding gold loans for SCBs has increased marginally from 0.20 per cent in March 2023 to 0.22 per cent in March 2025, while for Upper- and Middle-Layer NBFCs it has increased from 1.21 per cent to 2.14 per cent over the same period. The RBI has further informed that the data related to gold loans sanctioned by SCBs and NBFCs is not maintained by it, he Office of the RBI Ombudsman has received 188 complaints related to gold loans during the financial year 2024-25, he said, adding that these complaints are handled in accordance with the provisions of the RBI Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, 2021.. To a question with regard to RBI's current official position on the regulation and legal status of cryptoassets, Chaudhary replied that RBI has informed that cryptocurrencies and crypto assets do not fall under its regulatory domain.
