In a bid to woo voters ahead of next year's state elections, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has urged the Pune Municipal Corporation to close slaughterhouses in the city on Ekadashi and "respect religious sentiments" of the people. Ekadashi, considered auspicious for Hindus and Jains, falls twice every month.

In a proposal tabled before the civic coordination committee, MNS leader Vasant More and corporator Aarti Babar said Ekadashi has religious significance. "This is the day when many citizens observe fast and consider it to be auspicious day. However, the slaughterhouses continue to sell non-vegeterian food. This is wrong," said More.

He said the MNS want to ensure that religious sentiments of citizens are not hurt. "We have urged the city mayor to stop the shops from selling flesh on the religious day. It is not going to make impact to their business," More said.

Recently, the MNS delegation had visited the flesh market in the city on the day of Ekadashi and found that the shopkeepers were doing business as usual. MNS had forced the closure of the shops on the day, More said.

"PMC need to keep control over these shops as they run on license granted by the civic body. They should make it a rule of keeping the shops closed on the religious days," More said. MNS demand is being described as politically motivated by other party leaders. "MNS is trying to woo voters by playing this emotional card," said a Congress leader.

Acting PMC health chief S T Pardeshi said the civic body cannot do much on the demand. "We control the business by issuing license and ensuring that they are properly run causing no health hazard to citizens," he said, adding, the PMC does not have legal powers to close shops for this reason.

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