Maharashtra: Tensions erupt in Thane housing society after dispute about Bakrid goat sacrifice

More than 200 police personnel were deployed around a housing society in Maharashtra’s Thane district after clashes erupted between Muslim residents and Hindutva groups in connection with goats being brought into the complex ahead of Bakrid, reported The Indian Express on Tuesday.

Bakrid, also known as Eid-al-Adha, is a Muslim festival that commemorates the spirit of sacrifice. The festival is traditionally marked by the slaughtering of goats.

The tension at Poonam Cluster 1, a housing society in Thane’s Mira Bhayandar, erupted on Monday night after some residents objected to a temporary shed being built to allegedly keep around 50 goats for sacrifice.

An unidentified resident told The Indian Express that for several years, animals have been brought in for sacrifice, but some persons “feel uncomfortable” about it.

Municipal rules earlier permitted the temporary grant of permission for sacrifice in housing society common areas if conditions related to hygiene, sanitation and the absence of nearby licensed slaughter facilities were met, according to the newspaper.

However, the situation escalated this year after some residents called members of the Bajrang Dal to the society.

The Bajrang Dal is part of a group of Hindutva organisations led by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

At around 10 pm on Monday, Bajrang Dal leaders arrived and asked residents...

Read more