Meat ban spreads to Five states as Chhattisgarh issues fresh order

New Delhi: The sale of meat has been banned in five states including Chhattisgarh where the ban was announced on Friday.

Amid the raging row over meat sale ban in Mumbai and some parts of Maharashtra and Rajasthan during 'Paryushan' festival of Jain community, the Chhattisgarh government has also ordered suspension of sale of meat during the eight-day long fasting period and 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival.

"Like every year, the Urban Administration Department has issued directives to civic bodies to keep all the slaughter houses and meat shops closed from September 10 to 17 for the Jain 'Paryushan' Parv and Ganesh Chaturthi," Deputy Secretary, Urban Administration, Jitendra Shukla said.

Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on September 17. All the meat shops and slaughter houses will remain closed during the said time period, Shukla said.

Action will be taken against those found violating the order and civil body officials ailing to enforce the order, he said.

A Raipur Municipal Corporation official said that all zone, health officers and police stations have been instructed to take necessary steps in this direction.

The state government has been imposing ban on sale of meat during 'Paryushan' since 2011. Notably, there has been a row over such a directive in Mumbai where ruling BJP's ally Shiv Sena and opposition MNS hit the streets to protest.

The Rajasthan government had also ordered ban on sale of meat and fish on September 17 (Paryushan), 18 ('Sanvatsari' - another Jain festival) and 27 ('Anant Chaturdashi').

While the ruling BJP in Maharashtra has defended the ban imposed by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), the Sena as well as opposition MNS and Congress and the NCP have vehemently opposed it, alleging that the move was aimed at polarising voters and appease a section of society before the crucial MCGM polls in early 2017.

A similar ban has also been imposed by Mira-Bhayander and Navi Mumbai municipal corporations in Mumbai's adjoining Thane district. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had earlier said his party would ensure that there was no ban on sale of meat.

The fever of banning meat and beef spread on Thursday with such directives being issued in Jammu and Kashmir and Ahmedabad as well even as controversy continued to rage in Mumbai where the High Court ruled that a prohibition on sale of meat is not feasible.