No ban on animal sacrifice during Bakrid: UP minister

LUCKNOW : Amid conflicting remarks by ruling BJP lawmakers over animal sacrifice on Bakrid, the UP government on Wednesday said there would be no ban on sacrifice ritual at home.

“I wish to clear the confusion prevailing over sacrifice on Bakrid. Let me be clear, there is no ban on celebrations. There is ban on crowding. As for sacrifice, the ban would be only for prohibited animals and those regularly offered as sacrifice would be allowed as before but only in homes and not in public places. A certain protocol due to coronavirus has to be followed and we all will have to ensure its implementation,” said UP minister Mohsin Raza.

LUCKNOW: Amid conflicting remarks by ruling BJP lawmakers over animal sacrifice on Bakrid, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government on Wednesday said there would be no ban on sacrifice ritual at home.

“I wish to clear the confusion prevailing over sacrifice on Bakrid. Let me be clear, there is no ban on celebrations. There is ban on crowding. As for sacrifice, the ban would be only for prohibited animals and those regularly offered as sacrifice would be allowed as before but only in homes and not in public places. A certain protocol due to coronavirus has to be followed and we all will have to ensure its implementation,” said UP minister Mohsin Raza.

“An advisory has been issued and would have to be followed. Only few people would go to mosques to offer Eid prayers. Social distancing would have to be followed. And this isn’t just happening in India. In Saudi Arab where 20 lakh people used to assemble for Haj, this time only 1,000 odd are going to perform Haj. So back home, don’t pay attention to rumours. From

Eid to Muharram everything would be allowed but the guidelines would have to be followed,” Raza said. The minister’s clarification came a day after a BJP MLA Nand Kishore Gujjar urged Muslims of his constituency not to offer animal sacrifice. Another lawmaker in western UP suggested that instead of animal sacrifice Muslims could consider eating vegetables instead. Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), an organisation backed by the RSS, has been running a campaign urging the community not to offer animal sacrifice.