A decision by several municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Kalyan-Dombivli, Nagpur, Amravati, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Malegaon, to ban the sale of meat on 15 August has ignited a fierce political controversy.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Sharad Pawar has called on the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to revoke its order prohibiting the sale of chicken and mutton on Independence Day.
Senior party leader Jitendra Awhad has strongly opposed the move, warning that he would consume meat at the KDMC headquarters on 15 August in protest if the decision is not reversed.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, leader of the rival NCP faction, has also criticised the ban, describing it as impractical in metropolitan areas with diverse populations. “It is difficult to impose such bans on 26 January or 15 August, as people from various castes and religions reside here,” he said.
The state government clarified that the policy is not new and was originally introduced by the Congress government on 12 May 1988. According to that order, municipal corporations are empowered to shut slaughterhouses on national and religious occasions, including Republic Day, Independence Day, Gandhi Jayanti, Ram Navami, and Mahavir Jayanti.
