MUMBAI: Residents of Mira Road and Bhayander in the northern suburbs will have to go without meat for eight days during the Jain fasting period of Paryushan this month.

The BJP, which took power at the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) last year, won a vote to ban sale of meat and slaughter of animals during the fasting period that falls between September 10 and 28. Last year, sale of meat was prohibited for two days, as provided by a state government resolution for Paryushan in 2007.

Jain Swetambaras will fast between September 11 and 18 and the Digambaras will observe Paryushan from September 18 to 27. The 2011 census puts the region’s population at 8.5 lakh. Of this, around 1.25 lakh are Jains.

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The proposal to ban meat sale and close down abattoirs during Paryushan was moved by BJP corporator Dinesh Jain in the general body meeting on Friday.

The BJP got 29 votes in favour of the ban. Its alliance partner, the Shiv Sena, voted against the ban but lost by two votes. Four of its corporators — Prashant Dalvi, Harishchandra Aamgaonkar, Prabhakar Mhatre, Subhangi Kothian — were absent during the voting. The Congress and the NCP had supported the Sena.

The resolution does not mention any dates. It simply states a ban during Paryushan which ends on September 27.

After coming to power, the BJP government in the state had pushed through the tough Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act in March 2015, banning, besides slaughter, importing of beef into the state and making it a criminal offence to possess such meat.

READ ALSO: Proposal to ban meat sale for 8 days in Mira-Bhayander

BJP MLA and corporator Narendra Mehta said looking at the growing population of Jains in the region it was only natural to ban meat sale during the entire fasting period. The eight-day ban will include the two days allowed by the state government. “The municipality is within its powers to extend the ban,” said Mehta.

At this, Congress’s Ashraf Shaikh retorted that then sale of liquor should be banned during the fasting month of Ramzan. His colleague Suhas Rakvi pointed out that imposing a complete ban was against the Constitution and affected the lifestyle of other residents. Sena’s Jayantilal Patil complained that every year the banning of meat during Paryushan was being raked up and labelled it as a bid to create a communal divide.

Butchers’ and abattoirs will have to remain shut for eight days and it is not clear whether they will be compensated for the loss of business. A meeting is being held with the police on Monday to sort out the modalities of implementing the ban.

