BJP and Shiv Sena corporators protest against proposed abattoir in Thane

BJP and Shiv Sena corporators opposed a proposal to construct an abattoir at a cost of Rs 20 crore in Bhiwandi in Maharashtra's Thane district. A delegation of leaders from the BJP, Sena and other organisations Thursday met Bhiwandi-Nizampur City Municipal Corporation Commissioner Manohar Hire and submitted a memorandum opposing the move.

Commissioner Hire assured the delegation that the issue would be kept in abeyance till a consensus is reached among all parties on how to move forward. Bhiwandi, a powerloom town, has been a communally sensitive area with an almost equal proportion of Hindus and Muslims. In late 1983, plans by a private firm to construct an abattoir near Sawande village in the township were met with large-scale protests, resulting in widespread rioting and arson. Subsequent police firing led to the death of four persons.