Owaisi Slams GHMC’s Independence Day Meat Ban, Calls It ‘Unconstitutional’: '99% Of Telangana Eats Meat'

Asaduddin Owaisi criticised GHMC's order to close slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15, calling it unconstitutional and a violation of citizens' rights to liberty and cultural practices.

Similar bans in Maharashtra have sparked controversy with political leaders divided on the issue of dietary freedom on Independence Day.

Source : Facebook

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has strongly opposed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s (GHMC) directive to close slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15, terming it a violation of citizens’ rights.

Meat Shop To Remain Close On I-Day In Telangana

In a post on X, Owaisi questioned the rationale behind the restriction, saying it was “callous and unconstitutional” and had no link to celebrating Independence Day. He argued that with 99% of Telangana’s population consuming meat, such bans infringe on people’s liberty, privacy, livelihood, cultural practices, nutrition, and religion. He said, "What’s the connection between eating meat and celebrating independence day? 99% of Telangana’s people eat meat. These meat bans violate people’s right to liberty, privacy, livelihood, culture, nutrition & religion."

 

Many municipal corporations across India seemed to have ordered that slaughterhouses and meat shops should be closed on 15th August. Unfortunately, @GHMCOnline has also made a similar order. This is callous and unconstitutional.

What’s the connection between eating meat and…

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) August 13, 2025

The GHMC has ordered closures on August 15 for Independence Day and on August 16 for Janmashtami with the directive circulated to police commissioners in Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Rachakonda.

Similar Meat Shop Closure Order Sparks Row

Similar orders in Maharashtra — including in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Malegaon, and Nagpur — have sparked political backlash. In Kalyan-Dombivli, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray also condemned the ban, asserting that dietary choices on Independence Day were a matter of personal freedom and tradition, not religion or national interest.

Aaditya Thackeray told ANI, "In our house, even on Navratri, our prasad has prawns, fish, because this is our tradition, this is our Hinduism... This is not a matter of religion, and it is not a matter of national interest."

The Maharashtra government remains split over the issue, with NCP leaders questioning the move and BJP members defending it by citing a 1988 state order permitting municipal bodies to enforce such bans on certain occasions.