From ban on meat in Mumbai, to tax on Vaishno Mata chopper ride

Modi government gets allies to oppose

Hitting out PDP-BJP Coalition Government for playing with the sentiments of Hindu community, State President, Shri Ram Sena, Rajiv Mahajan said that its decision of imposing 12.5 per cent service tax on the air travel facility to Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims create of wave of strong resentment among Hindus. Terming it as most unjustified, arbitrary and provocative decision of the State Government, Rajiv Mahajan asked the BJP to clear its stand. “If PDP took decision on such a sensitive issue without BJP consultation they why BJP stay in coalition,” he said.

“The PDP-BJP Government seems doing provocation to disrupt the communal harmony of the J&K to divert the attention of general masses from their failure on all other issues,” he said.

He demanded immediate dismissal of the State Finance Minister, Haseeb Drabu and should review the decision and withdraw it immediately.

“Government provides subsidy to Haj pilgrims then why imposes tax on Vaishno Devi and Amaranth Shrines pilgrims one way to other,” he said in a statement.

He appealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should intervene in the matter and instruct the state government to roll back the decision, otherwise the people of Jammu will come on roads and hold Shri Amaranth land row like agitation.

A political row has erupted over the ban on sale of meat for four days during the upcoming ‘Paryushan’ Jain holy festival in Mumbai. The ban, imposed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) came into force on September 10, and will also remain in force of Sept 13, 17 and 18 when slaughter of meat will be stopped in the Deonar abattoir and sale will not be permitted in the city.

The Paryushan is scheduled between September 10-17, with the 10-day Ganeshotsav starting from September 17, and Eid Al Adha falling on September 22-23.

However, the Shiv Sena, senior ruling partner in the BMC coalition with BJP, distanced itself from the ban, though it respected Jain religious sentiments. .The Congress, Nationalist Congress Party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the AIMIM, Samajwadi Party have joined the Shiv Sena in opposing the ban.

The BJP-controlled Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation last week imposed the ban on meat during Paryushan on the nearly million-strong population comprising significant chunks of Christians, Muslims and other Hindu meat-lovers, sparking off outrage.

Shiv Sena MP and executive editor of Saamana Sanjay Raut stoutly opposed the ban, and said: “You cannot decide what we should eat or not …”

MNS outspoken corporator Sandeep Deshpande said that the BJP is going against even the eating habits of the Marathi-speaking population who are meat-eaters.

“This nothing but vote-bank politics played by the BJP and trying to please one section of people by bowing to such demands … We strongly condemn this move,” said SP legislator Rais Shaikh.