Mumbai, September 9

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation banned sale of meat in its markets until September 17 for the eight-day Jain feast Paryushan, days after a similar prohibition announced by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation sparked outrage.

What is interesting, however, was that the National Congress Party, the party that controls the NMMC in alliance with the Congress, appeared hesitant to enforce the ban on Tuesday amid calls for it from the BJP, even calling it a ploy of the saffron party to polarize votes.

The civic body will see elections early next year.

The ban of meat has been put to immediate effect.

The BMC has been criticised for its ban on sale of meat on September 10, 13, 17 and 18 for the fast period.

The ban covers mutton and chicken, but excludes fish and eggs. It also extends to private businesses selling raw meat.

This isn’t the first time sale of meat has been regulated during the 'Paryushan': the ban on sale of meat products dates back to 1964, when the BMC passed a resolution directing a two-day prohibition on the sale of meat after Jains, a powerful community holding key stakes in business and industry in Mumbai, demanded it.

In 2004, the Congress-NCP government passed a resolution endorsing the two-day ban. Since then, the ban has been extended to four days in September every year.

BMC announced its ban after he municpal body of Mira-Bhayander passed a resolution banning the sale of meat in the satellite town's civic markets for the entire 'Paryushan' season.

Supporting the ban, Manoj Kotak, BJP leader in the BMC, said: "Lord Mahavir is an avatar of Vishnu. If the Jain community feels that harming animals will hurt the community's sentiments during 'Paryushan', then what is wrong in demanding a ban? When people refrain from drinking liquor on October 2, do politicians question their decision?"

The ban left several seething, including the Shiv Sena, which shares power with the BJP in the BMC. Sena president Uddhav Thackeray promised on Wednesday to ensure that the ban was not enforced. — PTI