The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s (KDMC) decision to ban meat sales and slaughterhouses on August 15, India’s 79th Independence Day, has ignited a fierce political and social controversy, prompting heightened security measures in Kalyan, Thane district. The police, led by Deputy Commissioner Atul Zende, are bracing for protests after political parties and butcher associations announced plans for agitations, including setting up meat stalls and public gatherings to defy the order.
The KDMC’s directive, issued on August 4, mandates a 24-hour closure of all slaughterhouses and licensed butcher shops dealing in goats, sheep, chickens, and large animals, from midnight August 14 to midnight August 15. Violations face penalties under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949. Commissioner Abhinav Goel defended the ban, stating it has been enforced annually since 1988 based on a state government resolution to maintain public order during significant occasions, including Gandhi Jayanti, Mahavir Jayanti, Paryushan, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Sadhu Vaswani’s birth anniversary.
The ruling Mahayuti coalition is divided, with the BJP defending the ban, citing its historical precedent under a 1988 resolution when NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar was chief minister, while the NCP, led by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, has questioned its necessity. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the controversy as “unnecessary,” emphasizing that the government does not intend to police food choices. Ajit Pawar echoed this, arguing that such bans, typically tied to festivals like Ashadhi Ekadashi or Mahashivratri, are inappropriate for Independence Day.
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Opposition leaders have fiercely criticized the move as an attack on personal freedom. NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad vowed to host a “mutton party” on August 15 to protest, declaring on X, “Who are you to decide what people eat and when?” Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray demanded the suspension of the KDMC commissioner, arguing that dietary choices are a personal right. Bhiwandi MP Suresh Mhatre (NCP-SP) highlighted the cultural significance of non-vegetarian diets among coastal Agri-Koli communities, calling the ban “incomprehensible.” AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi labeled it “unconstitutional,” questioning its relevance to Independence Day.
The Congress, led by state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, accused the Mahayuti government of stoking communal tensions to divert attention from pressing issues like unemployment and infrastructure. Posts on X reflect polarized sentiments, with some supporting the ban as a mark of respect for national occasions, while others view it as an overreach infringing on fundamental rights.
Zende confirmed that security has been bolstered across Kalyan-Dombivli, with police monitoring social media for planned agitations. Prohibitory orders are under consideration, and notices will be served to potential agitators. Similar meat sale bans are in place in Nagpur, Nashik, Malegaon, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, but Kalyan’s order has drawn the most backlash due to its political intensity. As tensions rise, authorities are on high alert to ensure law and order during the Independence Day celebrations.
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