Palitana Town (Gujarat) Moves To Ban Sale Of Non-Veg Food.

[ghulam muhammed]

Ahmadabad: Palitana Municipal Committee buckling under the pressure of the Jain religious leadership on Friday passed a resolution in its general body to ban the sale of meat and other non-vegetarian food, including eggs, within the municipal limits. The decision would be implemented after inviting objections from the residents of the town with a population of over one lakh, with 25 per cent of it being Muslims.

According to the local government officials, about 40 per cent of the town population is non-vegetarian. A municipal official told this reporter that apart from Muslims, many Hindu communities like Kolis are also non-veg and opposing the decision. Out of two non-veg hotels in the town, one is run by a Sindhi Hindu and another by a Muslim.

Another official said that Friday's decision was taken by the municipality under political pressure as Jains were politically very influential in the state and contributed a lot to the BJP election coffers. However, the official said that the decision for a ban was not as per constitutional provisions.

Muslim residents of the town fear that if the ban is implemented, they would also not be allowed slaughter animals during Baqrid which is their religious duty. They say that the decision is in favour of one community, overlooking the religious responsibilities of the other.

They have requested the administration not to buckle under the pressure of Jains who do not account for even five per cent of the town's population.

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