Tensions flared in Mumbai’s Mira Road area after men associated with right-wing Hindutva groups allegedly attempted to bring a pig into a housing society protesting against goats kept there for Eid al-Adha sacrifices, prompting heavy police deployment in the locality, local media reported.
The incident took place at the Poonam Cluster Society, where a dispute had been brewing over goats housed for the upcoming Muslim festival.
Police stepped in after a scuffle broke out between two groups on Monday night, and security was tightened in the area to prevent further unrest, reports said.
According to local media, men associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal gathered outside the society, recited Hindu prayers and attempted to bring a pig into the premises, claiming it was part of a “Varaha Puja” protest.
The protests followed objections by some residents and Hindutva groups to the presence of goats inside the housing complex ahead of Eid al-Adha.
Municipal authorities later demolished a temporary shed built to house the goats following complaints from residents. Tensions escalated again after members of the Muslim community attempted to rebuild the structure.
VHP coordinator Harsh Singh told local media that the goats were causing inconvenience to residents, including senior citizens, and alleged he was assaulted during the unrest. He said a police complaint had been filed.
The controversy also drew political reactions. Sanjay Upadhyay defended the protests and criticised what he described as the minority community’s disregard for rules in housing societies.
Separately, Ritu Tawde and other leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have urged the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to prohibit animal sacrifice in housing societies and chawls during Eid al-Adha.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government has directed police to invoke stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against illegal slaughterhouses ahead of the festival, a move criticised by some Muslim groups as discriminatory.
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