Achi news desk-
The Bombay High Court has allowed the sacrifice of animals on Eid-ul-Adha (Bahrid) and at Urs in Darga within the confines of Vishalgad fort in Kolhapur. The order was passed following a petition by Hajarat Par Malik Rehan Mira Saheb Darga, a registered trust, challenging the attachment issued by the Deputy Director of Archeology and Museums to the District Collector of Kolhapur, imposing a ban on the slaughter of animals in the fort area.
Petitioner’s lawyers SB Talekar and Madhabi Ayyappan argued that certain people have recently started spoiling the communal atmosphere and social harmony in the area by creating religious conflict for political purposes. The practice of sacrificing animals for cooking and eating food in closed premises was not banned nor was it opposed by anyone for years.
The media banned the sacrifice of animals and stated that according to the Maharashtra Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, it is forbidden to cook food in the protected area near the monument.
The petition alleged that the authorities allegedly took the decision on the basis of a 1998 judgment of the Aurangabad bench of the HC, which held that animal sacrifice in the name of gods and goddesses in public places is strictly prohibited.
The trust claimed that these offerings were made to pilgrims and others in rank and were a source of food for the people living in the nearby villages.
