Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday indicated that the party did not wish to raise the heat over the meat ban controversy even as the Jain sadhus and sadhvis staged a fast in Bhayander to condemn the meat ban politics.
“As far as the Shiv Sena is concerned, the meat issue is over for us. But, no one should impose their food habits on others,” Mr. Thackeray said, a day after the Sena-ruled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation rolled back the four-day ban on meat sale to two days and informed the Bombay High Court. The High court is likely to give its order on the meat ban controversy in response to a petition by the meat traders on Monday.
Upset at the aggressive politics by the Shiv Sena and the MNS over meat ban, over 1,000 Jain sadhus participated in a sit-in protest in Bhayander in Thane district. BJP corporators in Mira-Bhayander municipality had first passed a resolution to ban meat sale for eight days during the Paryushan Parva festival before it spread to Sena-BJP ruled BMC, the NCP-ruled Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, and then to other BJP-ruled States. “Uddhavji has sent his representative, and we will have a dialogue with him. said Jain guru Sagar Chandra Sagar.