Shut Deonar abbatoir for 8 days for Ganpati, Paryushan, says BJP

MUMBAI: Despite the flak it received last year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again demanded the city abattoir at Deonar remain shut not just during Paryushan Parv — a fasting period observed by the Jain community — but also during Ganesh festival — for four days each.

Last year, the party demanded closing the abattoir for eight days. Most of the meat consumed in Mumbai comes from the abattoir.

Pa r y u s h a n Pa r v s t a r t s from August 29 and ends on September 6. The Ganesh festival begins on September 5.

BJP MLA Raj Purohit has written to civic chief Ajoy Mehta stating the demands.

Last year, a major controversy broke out between the BJP and its alliance partner, the Shiv Sena, in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) – the former pushed for shutting slaughter houses for eight days.

Before that, the abattoir would be shut for four days – two days as per the civic body’s resolution and two days as per the state’s GR.

Following the BJP’s demand of eight days, however, an irked Sena and other Opposition parties forced the cancellation of the civic body’s resolution, which allowed shutting Deonar abattoir only for two days. Last year, it was Purohit and another BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar who had met the civic chief demanding the eight-day ban.

The Sena said it will not support the demand this year either.

Trushna Vishwasrao, leader of the House and Sena corporator, said, “According to the state’s resolution, the slaughter houses will be shut for two days. But we will notallowadding moredays.There has been no practice of shutting abattoirs during Ganeshotsav except on the first day.”