Government cannot impose meat ban: former union minister B Janardhana Poojary

MANGALURU: Former Union minister B Janardhana Poojary said that no political parties have the rights to decide what people should or should not eat. Reacting on recent ban on meat in Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh and Rajastan, Poojary said that the government cannot mandate people not to eat meat. "Except BJP, all allies in NDA are opposing the ban on meat. The BJP is trying to target Jain community, which is peace loving. The government is trying to create communal rift through meat ban," Poojary said. "While Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving calls for the people to unit on one side, his party is trying to separate communities through meat ban. Banning meat trade will affect the economy. While India is the major exporters of meet, Gujarat is the largest exporter in the nation. It is not possible to export meat without killing cows. However, Narendra Modi has not banned it in Gujarat. Similarly, it has not been banned in Goa," Poojary said.