Order In Place Since 1988: Devendra Fadnavis On Row Over Independence Day Meat Ban

Breaking his silence after a furore over some civic bodies in Maharashtra asking meat shops and slaughterhouses to remain shut on Independence Day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the order is not new and has been in place since 1988.

Responding to questions on the ban by municipal corporations in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Amravati and Kalyan-Dombivli, among others, and criticism from several leaders - including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar - Mr Fadnavis said he found out about the ban through media reports and his government has no interest in telling people what they can or cannot eat. 

"First of all, this state government has not taken any such decision. This decision has been in effect here in Maharashtra since 1988 and a government resolution (GR) regarding this was issued. Even I wasn't aware of the ban initially - I only came to know about this through the media. When I looked into it, I asked several municipal corporations why they had taken such a decision. They sent me the 1988 GR and also informed me that they have been issuing such circulars every year since then," the BJP leader said on Wednesday.

"In fact, even when Uddhav Thackeray was the chief minister, they took the same decision. They also sent me a copy of that decision, which I can share with you anytime. Ultimately, the government has no interest in deciding what someone should eat. We have many other important issues in front of us. That's why I feel that unnecessarily creating controversy over a decision taken in 1988, and now projecting it as if our government has taken this decision, is wrong," he added.

The chief minister also said people should not be calling others names because of their choice of food. 

"Some people are also calling vegetarians 'impotent'. If things are reaching such a level, this nonsense must stop. Whether one is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, in our country, as long as the Constitution allows it, everyone has the right to live and eat what they want... This decision was not taken by our government, it was taken by the previous governments," Mr Fadnavis said. 

'Wrong To Impose Ban'

Earlier in the day, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of the NCP had also joined the chorus of voices speaking out against the ban and said accepting it is "difficult".

"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 issue such orders for Maharashtra Day, Independence Day and Republic Day, then it is difficult," Mr Pawar said.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Aaditya Thackeray also said civic bodies are focusing on the wrong issues. 

"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.

Several parties, including the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), and the Congress, have said they will carry out a protest against the ban in Kalyan if the order is not withdrawn by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation. Similar protests have been planned even by the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP and the Republican Party of India (Athawale), which are part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra.