After an uproar from the Opposition, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday clarified that his government has not imposed any ban on eating non-vegetarian food on August 15.
He stated that in 1988, the erstwhile state government had allegedly issued an order to shut down slaughterhouses, which some municipal corporations have continued to follow.
Mr Fadnavis said he was also unaware of reports about a ban on eating non-vegetarian food and the closure of mutton and chicken shops. He added that he then inquired with the municipal corporation which had allegedly issued the order imposing the ban on the sale of mutton and chicken.
“It was revealed that the respective municipal corporation had not given any such order by our government, but followed the 1988 order issued by the erstwhile state government. I was also told that during the Uddhav Thackeray government also, some of the municipal corporations issued similar orders, then why is there hue and cry now,” Mr Fadnavis asked.
He said there is freedom to eat and live in the country, and that right has been given by the Constitution, but some people are unnecessarily targeting their government.
“Opposition should stop this. Some of them even went to the extent of calling the vegetarians impotent people. That shaming has to be stopped. People are free to eat what they want, they have full freedom to eat their choice of food. We had not taken any decision of imposing a ban on eating non-veg, it was an old government decision, and we were blamed for it,” the Chief Minister said.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also opposed the imposition of a ban on eating non-vegetarian food on August 15. He said they could understand shutting down slaughterhouses and mutton and chicken shops on certain religious occasions, but doing so on August 15 was unacceptable.
“The Hindu community and its culture is very diverse. In some of the communities and regions, there is a tradition to eat non-veg on religious festivals and even offer non-veg prasad to gods and goddesses as well, so putting a ban on non-veg is not possible. In rural areas, it is very common to offer goat or chicken to local deities, so we as a government cannot stop that and change the tradition and food habits of the people,” Mr Pawar said.
Meanwhile, the Kalyan and Malegaon municipal corporations are reconsidering their earlier decision to ban the consumption of non-vegetarian food.