'Unnecessary': Chirag Paswan criticizes BJP's meat ban during Navratri, Eid
What's the story
Union Minister Chirag Paswan has slammed recent administrative orders in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states banning the sale of meat, fish, and eggs during the nine-day Navratri festival.
Addressing reporters after an NDA meeting at Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's Patna residence on Sunday, he called such orders "trash talk."
Political parties shouldn't interfere in matters of personal faith, he said.
Opposition
Paswan dismisses discussions on closing meat shops during Navratri
Paswan downplayed administrative orders of closing meat shops during Navratri as meaningless, emphasizing on age-old communal harmony.
"Faltu ki baaten hai ye sab (this is all trash talk). This is not required. This has been happening for centuries, where every religious person has maintained brotherhood and lived simply," he said.
Restrictions
Administrative decisions to restrict meat sales during Navratri
The Maihar district administration in Madhya Pradesh has prohibited the purchase and sale of meat, fish, and eggs within its limits during Navratri from March 30 to April 7.
The ban was imposed through an order by Sub-Divisional Magistrate Vikas Kumar Singh under section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023.
In Uttar Pradesh too, the Yogi Adityanath government has banned the sale of meat within 500 meters of religious places for nine days.
Separation
Paswan advocates for separation of religion and politics
Paswan proposed that nearly all problems would be solved if religious organizations and political parties stopped interfering in each other's affairs.
"The day religious organizations stop protecting political parties and the day politicians or political parties stop interfering in the matter of faith, nearly 90% of the problems would be resolved. The trouble happens when controversies emerge due to politics."