Political firestorm erupts over meat ban on Independence Day

A political firestorm erupted on Wednesday after several civic bodies in the country ordered closure of meat shops and slaughterhouses on Independence Day with several political leaders terming it a "violation" of freedom as the country gets immersed itself in annual celebrations.

The political leaders across the spectrum have called it "crackdown" on the choice of peoples' food habits while terming it a "violation" on the country's 79th Independence Day.

Upping his ante against the order issued by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to keep slaughterhouses and meat shops closed on August 15 and 16 — Independence Day and Janmasthami — Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi termed it as "unconstitutional".

"Many municipal corporations across India seemed to have ordered that slaughterhouses and meat shops should be closed on August 15. Unfortunately, @GHMCOnline has also made a similar order. This is callous and unconstitutional," he said in his post on X.

"What's the connection between eating meat and celebrating Independence Day? 99 per cent of Telangana's people eat meat. These meat bans violate people's right to liberty, privacy, livelihood, culture, nutrition and religion,"  he added.

A similar meat ban order in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar drew ire from Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. "It is wrong to impose such a ban. In major cities, people of different castes and religions reside. If it is an emotional issue, then people accept it (ban) for a day. But if you clamp such orders on Maharashtra Day, Independence Day and Republic Day, then it is difficult," Pawar said.

Also, Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra's Thane issued a similar direction. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said the municipal commissioner should be suspended and that it is not his job to decide who eats what.

"What we eat on Independence Day is our right, our freedom. They cannot tell us whether to eat. In our house, even during Navratri, our prasad has prawns and fish because this is our tradition. This is our Hindutva. Why are you entering our homes? The municipal corporation should focus on issues such as potholes on roads," he said.

Additionally, Jitendra Awhad, NCP-SP MLA from the Kalwa-Mumbai constituency in Thane district also posted on X, “This is too much. Who are you to decide what people will eat and when?”

Arun Sawant, spokesperson for the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, said the BJP-Sena-NCP government in Maharashtra has not approved the meat ban. "The Opposition is levelling false allegations against the state government and trying to malign it," he said.