After Aaditya's 'meat as prasad' remark, Dy CM Ajit Pawar also opposes Aug 15 ban in Maharashtra cities

AFter Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya william makepeace thackeray, Maharashtra surrogate chief government minister Ajit Pawar also has objected to some civic bodies ordination the cloture of slaughterhouses and shops selling meat on August 15, on the occasion of Independence Day.Maharashtra deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Ajit Pawar said it was wrong to impose such a ban, adding that such curbs are generally imposed on faith-related occasions.Also Read: Meat ban orders on Independence Day spark political row, Owaisi leads oppositionSuch types of restrictions are generally imposed considering faith-related sensitivities on occasions like Ashadhi Ekadashi, Mahashivratri, Mahavir Jayanti etc, Pawar said, adding people eat vegetarian and non-vegetarian food in Maharashtra."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, as reported by HT earlier.The order follows that of Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Thane district, directing the closure of meat shops on August 15. There are reports that the Malegaon Municipal Corporation, too, issued such an order.‘Our prasad has prawns’, says AadityaShiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said the KDMC commissioner should be suspended because it is not their issue to decide on vegetarian or non-vegetarian food consumption," emphasising that in his house "Navratri prasad has prawns"."In our house, even on Navratri, our prasad has prawns, fish, because this is our tradition, this is our Hinduism... This is not a matter of religion, and it is not a matter of national interest...," Aaditya Thackeray said."The Commissioner of Kalyan-Dombivli should be suspended. I don't know who he is. What we eat on Independence Day is our right, our freedom. They cannot tell us whether to eat veg or non-veg. We will definitely eat non-veg. We eat it in our house. In our house, even on Navratri, our prasad has prawns, fish, because this is our tradition, this is our Hinduism... This is not a matter of religion, and it is not a matter of national interest," he added. Aaditya Thackeray reiterated the same in a post on X, saying, “What we eat on Independence Day is our choice. The Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Commissioner has NO right to interfere, and that dictat won’t be followed! Instead of imposing vegetarianism on the citizens, focus on improving the terrible roads and broken civic services. Citizens will eat whatever they want to- vegetarian/ non vegetarian.”Earlier in the day, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation announced the closure of slaughterhouses, outlets and shops selling meat within city limits on two days - August 15 and 20 - in view of festivals.It stated the closure was ordered on August 15 on the occasion of Gokul Ashtami, a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, and August 20, which marks the beginning of 'Paryushan Parva'- a key festival of the Jain community characterised by fasting and prayers.On these two days, there will be a ban on slaughtering animals and selling meat in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city, the civic corporation stated, and warned of action for violation.