After beef ban, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) ordered the slaughter houses be shut for four days in Mumbai during the Jain fasting period called Paryushan which starts on September 10, 13, 17 and 18.
The order was passed after the BJP ruled Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation banned the sale of meat in the area for 8 days and after Vishwamaitra Trust Ahinsa Sangh (VTAS) made the demand.
The ban, however, did not go down well and was slammed for it being motivated for vote-bank politics.
“Why only mutton and beef why not fish and chicken? Tomorrow if they do that there will be problem from the Koli community. This is being done only to affect Muslims who are politically weak,” said Maulana Hakim Mehmood Dariyabadi, general secretary of All India Ulema Council.
“By this logic Muslims should be asking for a ban on alcohol. But it would be wrong because we would want alcohol not to be consumed throughout the year and not just Ramzan,” said Maulana Fayyaz Baqir from the Shiah community.
The BMC by deciding to ban the sale of all kinds of meat for 8 days this month is not only going up against basic rights, but also hurting business.
It is interesting to know that the BJP’s ally Shiv Sena is being in opposition to the ban.
Shiv Sena Corporator Neelam Dhawan told NDTV, “People of different religions live in the city. You cannot put restrictions on what people eat even if it is during the fasting period. Nobody is taking anything to their homes. This is all politics.”
One of the famous quips to project of Narendra Modi-led BJP government before election was an anti-corruption stance was to say “Nahin Khaunga, Na Khaane Dunga.”
It seems that Maharasthra, particularly Mumbai took it to mean Beef and Meat instead of bribes!