Chavan denies permission for temporary abbatoirs

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has denied permission for temporary abattoirs (slaughter houses) on open spaces this Bakra Eid.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has denied permission for temporary abattoirs (slaughter houses) on open spaces this Bakra Eid.

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A delegation of Muslim leaders led by minority minister Arif Naseem Khan met Chavan on Monday and asked him to allow slaughter houses at open spaces for at least three days saying most official abattoirs were unable to help the lakhs of Muslims perform the holy ritual. Also, he said, in some towns, slaughter houses were closed for renovation. The delegation said the slaughter houses, if allowed in Muslim dominated areas, would not hurt religious sentiments of others.

A senior bureaucrat who attended Monday’s meeting told HT that Chavan quoted from a rulebook and excused himself. “The chief minister told the delegation that permission could not be granted under the existing laws,” he said, adding that the present law permitted abattoirs only in a controlled environment and behind closed doors.

The delegation also asked Chavan to control organisations such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and animal rights groups that opposed sacrifice of specific animals. They wanted the administration and the police to not allow such organisations to stop the trucks carrying such animals.