Mumbai: A political row has erupted after several civic bodies across the country have restricted sale of meat on Independence Day.
In Maharashtra, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) ordered the closure of meat shops and slaughterhouses from midnight on August 14 to midnight on August 15 as part of Independence Day observance. The civic body said the decision, in force since 1988, was a routine measure to maintain public order during national holidays, but the move has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties and community groups.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) leader Jitendra Awhad strongly opposed the order, terming it an attack on personal freedom. He announced plans to visit a meat shop in Kalyan on Independence Day and host a “mutton party” in protest. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also hit out at the decision and demanded that the KDMC commissioner be suspended for dictating food habits. However, party MLA Vishwanath Bhoir supported the directive, saying there was nothing wrong in avoiding meat for a day.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar criticised the order as unjustified and said it was against the spirit of independence to impose dietary restrictions on such an occasion. A similar meat ban order in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has also drawn objection. “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.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed the ban, calling it impractical and undemocratic. Speaking in Hyderabad, Owaisi argued that 99 per cent of Indians consume meat and such decisions interfere with personal choice and religious practices.
“Many municipal corporations across India seemed to have ordered that slaughterhouses and meat shops should be closed on 15th August. Unfortunately, @GHMCOnline has also made a similar order. This is callous and unconstitutional. What’s the connection between eating meat and celebrating Independence Day? 99% of Telangana’s people eat meat. These meat bans violate people’s right to liberty, privacy, livelihood, culture, nutrition and religion,” Owaisi wrote on X.
Meanwhile, members of the Khatik community, traditionally involved in meat trade, have threatened to set up a stall outside KDMC’s office on August 15 if the ban is not rolled back. They said the civic body should focus on fixing potholes and improving infrastructure instead of imposing food restrictions.
The KDMC has warned that violators of the order will face action under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949. The controversy has triggered a wider debate on food freedom and cultural identity, with critics questioning the logic of curbing personal choice on a day meant to celebrate independence.
