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AIMIM leader throws 'biryani party’ to protest meat ban on Independence Day in Maharashtra
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation on Tuesday announced the closure of all meat shops within city limits for two days, August 15 and 20.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Imtiaz Jaleel on Friday organised a "biryani party" at his residence in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to protest against the local civic body's meat ban in the city due to Independence Day and Janmashtami.
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation on Tuesday announced the closure of all shops, slaughterhouses, and outlets selling meat within city limits on two days, August 15 and 20, news agency PTI reported.
The country is celebrating its 79th Independence Day and Janmashtami, a Hindu festival to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna, on Friday. Meanwhile, 'Paryushan Parva', a significant festival of the Jain community that is marked by fasting and prayer, begins on August 20.
To protest the meat ban, AIMIM leader and former MP Jaleel held a biryani party at his residence to oppose the ban on meat sales.
"I have cooked chicken biryani along with a vegetarian dish. If the municipal commissioner comes and asks for vegetarian food, then I will offer it to him. But the government should not tell us what we should eat and what we should not," he said.
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The leader from the Asaduddin Owaisi-led party said that such things should be stopped, terming the meat ban decision as "unfortunate".
Earlier on Thursday, Jaleel extended an invitation to all Municipal Corporation commissioners to join the "join the Chicken Biryani and Mutton Korma party organized at my residence at 1 PM on August 15".
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri @Dev_Fadnavis, will also be present on this occasion. (India is a free and democratic country, and Maharashtra is not a dictator-ruled state). This party is being organized solely to remind those who still have not understood the meaning of freedom," he added in his post on X.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed the Hyderabad municipal body's ban on meat sales, calling it "callous and unconstitutional".
ALSO READ | Civic bodies are only following the meat ban imposed by Congress in 1988: CM Fadnavis
"What’s the connection between eating meat and celebrating Independence Day? 99% of Telangana’s people eat meat. These meat bans violate people’s right to liberty, privacy, livelihood, culture, nutrition, and religion," he said in a post on X.
AIMIM leader slams CM Fadnavis
He also hit out at chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the matter and said that if the CM had directed the commissioner to withdraw the order, the issue would have ended there.
"They say we can eat (meat) but it will not be made available in the market. What is the government trying to gain by issuing such orders?" Jaleel asked.
Earlier on Wednesday, CM Fadnavis said the state government was not interested in regulating people's food choices, describing the whole row over meat shop closures as an "unnecessary" controversy.
When it was pointed out that the ban on meat was imposed on the occasion of Janmashtami, the AIMIM leader went on to question whether the festival is being celebrated in selective districts only.
"Hindus across the state are celebrating it. Had the government adopted a policy in this regard, then we would have respected it," he added.
Jaleel further asked, "There are few over-enthusiastic municipal commissioners who issued these orders to make the government happy...Muslims have only two festivals (Ramzan and Bakri Eid). Will the government shut the liquor shops on these two festivals of the Muslim community?"
Row over meat sales ban
Other than Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, municipal corporations in Nagpur, Nashik, and Malegaon also issued similar orders, resulting in controversy and protests over personal freedom.
Other parties in the Opposition bloc have also criticised the move, with the BJP arguing that the policy of shutting down meat shops on Independence Day was first implemented in 1988 by the then chief minister, NCP(SP) supremo Sharad Pawar. The BJP asked whether the opposition would question the legendary politician about it.
Congress workers were also seen protesting in Mumbai against the Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation's order banning the sale of meat on Independence Day.
