'Attack on liberty and culture': Leaders react to meat sale ban on Independence Day

Owaisi, Thackeray, Pawar are among the ones who have clearly expressed discontent with the civic bodies' decision.

As the nation gears up to celebrate the 78th Independence Day, a wave of civic orders mandating the closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15 has triggered a nationwide political row, with Opposition parties branding the move “unconstitutional” and a violation of personal freedoms.

The controversy primarily erupted after the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Maharashtra directed all licensed butchers and slaughterhouses to shut operations from midnight on August 14 to midnight on August 15. Violators would risk action under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949, stated the order. Defending the order, KDMC officials have stated it has been part of an annual civic resolution since 1988 to maintain public order on national days.

The civic body's decision has drawn sharp criticism from NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray, on Tuesday, accused the civic chief of overreach, declaring, “Our right to eat what we choose is part of our freedom. Even on Navratri, our prasad includes prawns and fish; this is our tradition, not a religious or national security issue.”

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad has announced plans to host a “mutton party” on Independence Day as a sign of protest.

Echoing similar sentiments, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has also opposed the ban. He argues that such restrictions are typically reserved for specific religious festivals like Ashadhi Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, or Mahavir Jayanti. “In a diverse state, imposing such a rule on Independence Day is wrong,” he has noted.

Notably, the ban is not just confined to KDMC.

Civic bodies in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Malegaon have issued similar orders, with Sambhajinagar extending closures to August 20 for the Jain festival Paryushan Parva.

In fact, the dispute has crossed state lines, with AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi slamming Hyderabad’s Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for enforcing the same rule.

Lashing out at the civic body and calling it “callous and unconstitutional,” Owaisi said such meat bans trample on rights to liberty, livelihood, culture, nutrition, and religion.

Not all leaders, however, oppose the move.

Shiv Sena MLA Vishwanath Bhoir defended KDMC’s decision, saying, “What’s the harm in skipping meat for one day? The Opposition only wants to criticise.”

In Maharashtra, the controversy has also drawn the attention of the state cabinet.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said he would examine the issue. “We need to check the rule, law, and authority under which the commissioner issued this order. It’s also important to verify whether there was any public demand for such a prohibition,” he said.

While restrictions on meat sales for specific days are not uncommon in parts of India, the latest orders implementing such a ban on a day associated with freedom and choice continue to trigger political and public debate.