Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has responded to the ongoing discussion around the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) order banning meat sales on Independence Day, clarifying that the decision is not new and has been in place for decades.
Speaking on the matter, Fadnavis stated:
"This decision has been in place since 1988; we have not made any new decision. Even when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister, this decision existed, and it is still in place now. We have not taken any new decision," as reported by the news agency IANS.
The KDMC order had sparked some political debate, but the Chief Minister was clear in distancing the current administration from taking any fresh stance on the issue. He emphasised the historical continuity of the policy, pointing out that it remained unchanged when Uddhav Thackeray was the Chief Minister.
Fadnavis’s remarks aimed to underline that the meat sale ban on national holidays like Independence Day is a long-standing practice, not a newly imposed rule, and therefore should not be politicised or misunderstood as a recent move by the current government.
'They Cannot Tell Us What To Eat': Aaditya Thackeray Slams KDMC Over Meat Shop Ban On Independence Day
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray has strongly criticised the reported decision by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to shut down all slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15, India’s Independence Day. Describing the move as an infringement on personal freedoms, Thackeray questioned the reasoning behind such restrictions, emphasising that food choices should not be linked to religion or national identity.
Aaditya Thackeray mentioned that, "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," as reported by news agency ANI.
