Haryana on Saturday became the fifth BJP-ruled state to ban the sale of meat for a period of eight days during the Jain festival of Paryushan.
Governments in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra have also enforced a ban on <g data-gr-id="18">slaughter</g> of animals and the sale of meat during the Jain festival so as to respect the sentiments of the community. The ban has kicked up widespread criticism across states with activists and opposition parties alleging that the government had no right to tell people what to eat.
Meanwhile, the Haryana government said on Saturday that it had not passed any orders to ban the slaughter of animals for meat but had appealed to slaughterhouses to remain closed for nine days starting September 11 on the account of Paryushan Parva. Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain said that there is no order to ban the slaughter of animals. “A delegation from the Jain community had met me seeking a ban on <g data-gr-id="15">slaughtering</g> of animals in the state for nine days,” said Jain.