Ahead of the prominent Muslim festival of Eid-Al-Adah (Bakrid), Bengaluru’s civic agency, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has on Monday imposed a blanket ban on animal sacrifice within its limits in public areas such as roads, educational institutions, and places of worship, among others.
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This year, Bakrid falls on Thursday, and it marks the commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim’s dedication to Allah. Bakrid usually falls in the month of Zul Hijjah/Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic or lunar calendar.
The ban on animal sacrifice will be imposed in streets, footpaths, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, colleges, parks, within places of worship such as temples and mosques and other public places, The Indian Express reported. The BBMP said in a circular that only authorised slaughterhouses will be allowed to butcher animals on the day of the festival.
“The general public is hereby notified that sacrifices of animals during Bakrid or other religious occasions are prohibited in the following places,” the circular stated.
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“If any person or organisation was found violating the guidelines, they will be liable to be prosecuted under Karnataka State Animal Sacrifices Act 1959 Section 3 punishable up to six months imprisonment/penalty or both. Indian Penal Code section 429 punishable up to five years in prison,” it further added.
The BBMP has been known to issue similar orders during several festivals and holidays in Bengaluru, including bans on sale of meat. Whenever such orders are imposed, slaughter houses and butcher shops have remained closed, for instance – on the occasion of Rama Navami in March.
