Chhattisgarh enters the league of BJP-ruled states to ban meat

On 10 September, the state government of Chhattisgarh announced a ban on the sale of meat till 17 September. With this decision, the state has become fourth in the list of BJP-ruled states which have banned the sale of mean for the Jain festival, Paryushan.

There has already been an outrage over this decision in Rajasthan and Mumbai. Meat traders in Mumbai have filed a petition challenging this decision and political parties including the Shiv Sena have openly condemned the ban.

The Bombay High Court is expected to take a decision on the petition today. "An eight-day straight ban can't be a formula. Mumbai is a modern city," the court had stated on 10 September.

BJP, which is the ruling party in Maharashtra, is seeking to extend the duration of the ban from four to eight days in Mumbai. Sale of meat has already been banned in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

In Rajasthan, selling meat and fish is prohibited on 17, 18 and 27 September. The J&K High Court, on 10 September, also ordered that the police will strictly enforce the existing beef ban in the state.