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Mumbai: A major political controversy has erupted in Maharashtra after several civic bodies directed slaughterhouses and meat shops to stay shut on Independence Day. The move has sparked division within the ruling Maha Yuti alliance, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi accused the BJP of interfering with people's food choices.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis dismissed the abattoir closure row as "unnecessary," saying the government has no interest in regulating people's food choices.

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"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," Fadnavis said 

The MVA, comprising the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP), slammed the government over the directive. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar also raised objections, highlighting divisions within the ruling alliance.

“One would have understood the ban if it were on Ashadhi Ekadashi, Maha Shivratri or Mahavir Jayanti. But when there is no such occasion, why should meat shops be forced to remain closed?…today it is 78 years that we have got Independence…some people are vegetarian and some are non-vegetarian…for years and ages people eat particular types of food. Now you will ban it during Independence Day, Republic Day, Maharashtra Day…this is difficult,” Ajit Pawar said.

On Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation reportedly ordered the closure of all slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said, "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."

"The Commissioner of Kalyan-Dombivli should be suspended. I don't know who he is. What we eat on Independence Day is our right, our freedom. They cannot tell us whether to eat veg or non-veg. We will definitely eat non-veg. We eat it in our house. 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," he added. 

In Maharashtra, the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation banned animal slaughter and meat sales on August 15 and 20, warning of action under the MMC Act, 1949. While officials said such orders date back to 1988, this year's enforcement, coinciding with Paryushan Parva, has sparked sharp criticism.

The BJP, however, slammed the MVA saying that the decision of meat ban on Independence Day dates back to the late eighties. “There is no disagreement that the government should not decide what to eat and what not to eat. The BJP's stance is that everyone should respect the sentiments of the diverse communities in our country, which is united in its diversity. Will Aditya Thackeray and Jitendra Awhad, who are criticizing the Mahayuti government over the closure of slaughterhouses on August 15, protest against Sharad Pawar for the same slaughterhouse closure on August 15? Will they oppose it? Will they question him? This is the real question,” asked BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye.

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“The decision to close slaughterhouses on August 15 was not taken by the Maha Yuti government but was made on May 12, 1988, when Shankarrao Chavan was the Chief Minister and the Congress was in power. Subsequently, within a month, when Sharad Pawar became the Chief Minister, this decision to close slaughterhouses on August 15 was first implemented. Not only that, even two or three years ago, when both of them were ministers in the MVA government, slaughterhouses were closed on August 15, and at that time, neither of them uttered a single word against it,” he added.

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