Maharashtra: Congress leaders seek review of Bakri Eid guidelines, say it hurt sentiments
People have been asked to buy and sell sacrificial goats online. The state also said that people should observe a ‘symbolic celebration’.
A section of Congress leaders in Maharashtra have urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to review the guidelines for Bakri Eid celebrations amid the coronavirus crisis, reported PTI. The Islamic festival will be celebrated on July 31.
According to the Standard Operating Procedures released by the government last week, people have been asked to buy and sell sacrificial goats online. It has also said that people should observe a “symbolic celebration” of Bakri Eid. According to the guidelines, people have to offer namaz at home instead of mosques.
Congress leader Naseem Khan said there cannot be any symbolic celebration for the festival and that buying goats online was not possible. He has written to the chief minister to call an urgent meeting of ministers to review the guidelines.
“We want the government to rethink and call for an urgent meeting,” said Khan. “This has hurt sentiments.”
People also complained that the guidelines were not clear. “Government says we have to buy goats online but there isn’t any portal mentioned anywhere,” Mumbai resident Zameer Shaikh told NDTV. “Guidelines are confusing. They should clear it.”
Usually, residents buy goats from Mumbai’s Deonar market. However, the abattoir has been shut due to the coronavirus outbreak. This has also resulted in rising prices of goats. The price of goats in Mumbai has increased from around Rs 20,000 earlier to Rs 30,000 now, according to PTI.
Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in the country by the pandemic. As of Monday, Maharashtra’s case tally stands at 3,75,799 and the toll is 13,656.