BJP climbs down on meat ban issue

Faced with an embarrassing onslaught from all political parties and from every quarters on its decision to ban meat during the Jain festival Paryushan. The BJP has finally realized that the public mood is against it on the issue and has decided to take corrective steps.

On Thursday Mumbai BJP Chief Ashish Shelar wrote a letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta asking him to reduce the meat ban from four days to two days.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Shelar said that there was a need to find a closure to the current controversy and hence he has demanded that the ban be reduced by two days."

The move comes after the Shiv Sena which is an ally of the BJP government in the state has said that it is strongly opposed to the ban on meat. The MNS has gone on the war path and has said that it won't even allow a ban for the two days and it would 'provide protection;' to those meat sellers who are selling meat.