‘What We Eat Is Our Freedom’: Opposition Hits Out At Civic Orders Closing Meat Shops On I-Day

Last Updated:August 13, 2025, 11:19 IST

NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad went a step further, saying he would eat non-vegetarian food on August 15 in protest against the ban.

The controversy gained momentum after civic bodies in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kalyan-Dombivli, and reportedly Malegaon issued orders for a one-day ban on slaughter and meat sales. (Pics: PTI)

A political row has erupted after several civic bodies across the country ordered the closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops in several cities on August 15, with Opposition leaders calling the move “unconstitutional" and an attack on personal liberty.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for following the example of other municipal bodies in imposing the ban. “This is callous and unconstitutional. 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," Owaisi said.

In Maharashtra, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray lashed out at the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), which reportedly ordered the closure of all slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15. “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. In our house, even on Navratri, our prasad has prawns and 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," Thackeray said, demanding the KDMC commissioner’s suspension.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also opposed the move, saying such restrictions are generally reserved for occasions with faith-related sensitivities like Ashadhi Ekadashi or Mahashivratri. “It is wrong to impose such a ban… If you clamp such orders on Maharashtra Day, Independence Day and Republic Day, then it is difficult," Pawar said.

NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad went a step further, saying he would eat non-vegetarian food on August 15 in protest against the ban.

The controversy gained momentum after civic bodies in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kalyan-Dombivli, and reportedly Malegaon issued orders for a one-day ban on slaughter and meat sales, citing festivals coinciding with Independence Day.

News politics ‘What We Eat Is Our Freedom’: Opposition Hits Out At Civic Orders Closing Meat Shops On I-Day

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