The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has reportedly ordered the closure of all slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15, Independence Day. The move has sparked political reactions, with Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray strongly opposing the decision.
Criticising the civic body, Thackeray said, “The Commissioner of Kalyan-Dombivli should be suspended. I don’t know who he is. What we eat on Independence Day is our right, our freedom. They cannot tell us whether to eat veg or non-veg. We will definitely eat non-veg.”
#WATCH | Mumbai: On Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation reportedly ordered the closure of all slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray says, "In our house, even on Navratri, our prasad has prawns, fish, because this is our tradition,… pic.twitter.com/ivxVhjHw2i
— ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2025
Thackeray emphasised that dietary choices are part of personal liberty and cultural tradition. “In our house, even on Navratri, our prasad has prawns, fish, because this is our tradition, this is our Hinduism. This is not a matter of religion, and it is not a matter of national interest,” he said.
The KDMC’s order is reportedly part of routine practice observed on certain public holidays, but Thackeray’s remarks have brought the issue into the spotlight, triggering a fresh debate over what constitutes ‘Hinduism’ for the Thackerays, and if such freedom of interpreting religious festivals is only exclusive to Hinduism or does it extend to Islam, Christianity, and others as well.
