Meat sale ban on Aug 15: Security heightened in Kalyan

Thane, Aug 14 (PTI) Security has been stepped up in Kalyan area here as some political parties and butcher associations have warned of a protest against the local civic body's order for closure of meat shops and abattoirs on Independence Day, police said on Thursday.

Various municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Kalyan-Dombivli (in Thane district), Nagpur, Nashik, Malegaon and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, have issued orders directing closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops within their jurisdiction on August 15.

Some of them have said these facilities will remain shut on certain other days, too, in view of Hindu and Jain festivals.

Ruling allies BJP and NCP have spoken in different voices on the issue, while Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the government was not interested in policing people’s food choices.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone III, Kalyan, Atul Zende said security has been heightened in the Kalyan-Dombivli civic limits and they were keeping a close watch on the situation to avert any eventuality.

"Certain political parties have warned of agitation in the vicinity of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), including putting up meat stalls, selling meat and organising gatherings. Those who are likely to resort to such activities will be served with notices," he said.

The police are also considering issuing prohibitory orders to maintain law and order, the official said.

"We have learnt about most of the proposed agitations through social media. Only a few political parties have formally approached us for permission," Zende added.

The KDMC recently issued an order stating all slaughterhouses and licensed butchers of goats, sheep, chickens, and large animals must remain closed for 24 hours from midnight of August 14 till midnight of August 15.

The civic body warned of action under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949, if any animal is slaughtered or meat is sold during the specified period.

Amid criticism of the order from various quarters, KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goel on Wednesday said the restriction on the sale of meat was not new.

"This order has been in place since 1988 and is issued every year. Several other civic bodies also have similar policies. The ban applies not only to August 15 but also to Gandhi Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti, Paryushan, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Sadhu Vaswani's birth anniversary. It is based on a report by the corporation's health officer," Goel told reporters.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has questioned the closure, while its ally in the ruling Mahayuti coalition, BJP, defended the move, citing a 1988 state government resolution (GR) empowering civic bodies to impose such restrictions.

Opposition parties have also criticised the move.

The BJP has said the policy to keep abattoirs shut on Independence Day was first implemented in 1988 when NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar was the chief minister of Maharashtra, and sought to know if the opposition would question the veteran politician about it.

Chief Minister Fadnavis on Wednesday asserted the state government was not interested in regulating people’s food choices and described the row over abattoir closures on Independence Day as an "unnecessary" controversy.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Tuesday expressed displeasure over some civic bodies ordering the closure of slaughterhouses and shops selling meat on August 15, saying it was wrong to impose such a ban.

Such types of restrictions are generally imposed considering faith-related sensitivities on occasions like Ashadhi Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, Mahavir Jayanti, he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray earlier said the Kalyan-Dombivli civic commissioner should be suspended as it was not for him to dictate people's dietary choices.

The Congress has claimed the Mahayuti government was creating controversies on "nonsensical" issues such as pigeon-feeding in cities and banning sale of meat on Independence Day to divert attention from serious issues.

The BJP was stoking caste-based and communal tensions as part of its political strategy, state Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged.

NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad has said he would host a mutton party on August 15 to highlight the "freedom" of subjective food preferences.

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has also opposed the decision by municipal corporations to shut down slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15, terming it as "unconstitutional", and sought to know the link between meat consumption and Independence Day celebrations. PTI COR GK