Abattoirs shut, no sale of meat in civic markets today

UNDER A 2004 GR, SLAUGHTERHOUSES ARE SHUT AND SALE OF MEAT IS BANNED ON FOURTH DAY OF PARYUSHAN AND GANESH CHATURTHI

MUMBAI: Non-vegetarians may face shortage of meat on Thursday as the city abattoir and civic meat markets will be shut on the occasion of Paryushan Parv, the fasting period of the Jain community. Under a Government Resolution (GR), 2004, slaughterhouses are closed and sale of meat and poultry is banned for two days — the fourth day of the Jain festival and Ganesh Chaturthi.

As per the Hindu calendar, both these festivals fall on the same day this year — September 13. The sale of meat in BMC markets, local shops and supermarkets will be prohibited on September 13. However, the sale of eggs and seafood will continue.

Three years after the outcry and political drama over the meat ban in the city during Paryushan Parv, the BJP, which was pushing for the ban has gone soft.

The BJP leaders and MLAS Raj Purohit and Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who were spearheading the demand for meat ban, are now quiet on the issue. Both leaders said that there has been no demand from the community to increase the number of days for sale of meat in the city.

Purohit had even demanded the closure of abattoirs on festivals like Ram Navmi, Janmash- tami and Diwali. However, the party in the last two years had not pursued the meat ban.

“The petition on the issue is going on in the high court and the matter is sub-judice,” said Manoj Kotak, BJP group leader in BMC. The BJP had demanded an eight-day meat ban in 2015, which had led to a controversy. BJP was isolated as Shiv Sena, its partner in the state government, had joined hands with MNS, SP, Congress, NCP and opposed the ban.

Sena and MNS had then tried to pit the BJP against the majority, who are largely non-vegetarians. Following this, BJP party leaders had withdrawn the eightday meat ban demand. The party was also isolated in the general body meeting when all political parties demanded to withdraw the 1994 BMC resolution that facilitated meat ban in the city.