THE Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, Raj Thackeray, has slammed the BJP-led state government over the ban on sale of meat on Independence Day and accused it of deliberately fuelling divides between two communities through subtly encouraging practices like feeding pigeon, and the backdoor push to make Hindi compulsory from Std I to Std V in schools across the state.

Reacting to the Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) decision to ban the sale of meat today, Raj questioned the true values of freedom on Independence Day. “The government and municipal corporation should not decide on who should eat what. I have asked my party workers to ensure the sale of meat is carried out on the day,” Raj said.

On Thursday, Raj escalated his attack on the BJP, saying, “Mangal Prabhat Lodha is a minister who represents Maharashtra and not a particular community. Lodha and Jain community leaders should respect the court order. Medical experts have been talking about health hazards due to pigeons. The government should take this into consideration, instead of making decisions on emotional grounds.”