In Maharashtra’s Thane district, the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has ordered all meat shops and slaughterhouses to remain closed on Independence Day, a decision that has sparked sharp criticism from NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad.
The KDMC notice states that slaughterhouses and licensed butchers selling goat, sheep, chicken, or large animal meat must remain shut for 24 hours—from midnight on August 14 to midnight on August 15. It warns that any violation will invite action under the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, 1949.
Deputy Commissioner (Licensing) Kanchan Gaikwad, who signed the order, said it was in line with long-standing administrative resolutions aimed at maintaining public order and observing important national occasions.
Awhad, the MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa, strongly objected to the ban. Speaking to PTI, he said, “I am planning to host a mutton party that day. On the day we got freedom, you are taking away our freedom to eat what we want.”
He also took to social media to express his disapproval, posting on X, “This is too much. Who are you to decide what people will eat and when?”
