In a unique form of protest against the municipal order banning meat sales on August 15 and 20, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader and former MP Imtiaz Jaleel hosted a “biryani party” at his residence in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on Friday.
The ban, announced by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation earlier this week, ordered the closure of meat shops, slaughterhouses, and outlets selling meat within city limits on the occasion of Independence Day and Janmashtami. Similar directives were also issued in Nagpur, Nashik, and Malegaon.
‘Government Should Not Dictate Food Choices’
Jaleel served chicken biryani alongside a vegetarian dish at the event. “I have cooked chicken biryani along with a vegetarian dish. If the municipal commissioner comes and asks for vegetarian food, then I will offer it to him. But the government should not tell us what we should eat and what we should not,” Jaleel said.
15 अगस्त को सभी मीट और चिकन की दुकानें बंद रखने का तुगलकी फरमान जारी करने वाले सभी नगर निगम आयुक्तों को 15 अगस्त को दोपहर 1 बजे मेरे आवास पर आयोजित चिकन बिरयानी और मटन कोरमा पार्टी में शामिल होने का निमंत्रण। महाराष्ट्र के मुख्यमंत्री श्री @Dev_Fadnavis भी इस अवसर पर उपस्थित… pic.twitter.com/kFQ8etEFgf
— Imtiaz Jaleel (@imtiaz_jaleel) August 14, 2025
He had earlier invited all municipal commissioners and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to join the gathering, describing it as an occasion to remind authorities “about the meaning of freedom” in a democratic country.
Owaisi, Opposition Leaders Join in Criticism
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also criticised similar bans in other parts of the country, calling them “callous and unconstitutional.”
“What’s the connection between eating meat and celebrating Independence Day? These meat bans violate people’s right to liberty, privacy, livelihood, culture, nutrition, and religion,” he posted on X.
Congress workers, too, staged protests in Mumbai against the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation’s decision to ban meat sales on Independence Day.
Political Back-and-Forth Over Policy Origins
Jaleel accused “over-enthusiastic” commissioners of enforcing the ban to please the government and questioned why restrictions were applied only in selective districts. He also asked whether liquor shops would be closed during Muslim festivals like Ramzan and Bakri Eid.
CM Fadnavis distanced his administration from the controversy, calling it “unnecessary” and asserting that the government had no interest in regulating people’s food habits. The BJP, however, reminded critics that the practice of closing meat shops on Independence Day dates back to 1988, when it was implemented by then-chief minister Sharad Pawar.
