3 min readMumbaiMay 17, 2026 09:41 PM IST
Ahead of Eid al-Adha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya on Saturday wrote to Mumbai Mayor, Ritu Tawde, alongside the Mumbai’s civic and police commissioners, to cease religious sacrifice of goats within residential clusters like housing societies and chawls during the festival period.
This year, Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) is slated for May 28 with religious slaughter of animals poised to be carried out during a three day period between May 28, May 29 and 30.
According to the civic policy, in Mumbai, sacrifice of buffaloes is only permitted within the compound of the Deonar Abattoir – Asia’s largest slaughterhouse, while religious sacrifice of goats is permitted across 109 designated locations ranging from mutton shops to meat markets.
Additionally, religious sacrifice of goats is also permitted within residential compounds if an NOC for the ceremony is granted by society members.
However, in a letter to the Mumbai Mayor as well as civic and police commissioners, Somaiya has alleged that during Bakrid, open slaughter of goats is undertaken without prior authorisation. “On Bakri Eid and many occasions, some goons openly slaughter goats in the name of Islam without authorisation. Despite formulation of rules and repeated restrictions imposed by the municipal corporation and the court, these rules are still being violated,” read the letter, dated May 16.
Amid allegations of unauthorised slaughter, Somaiya has called for strict instructions from the municipal corporation across all wards and concerned officials to prevent violation of norms in residential pockets.
“Religious slaughter should only be permitted at the abattoir or in meat shops. I have informed the municipal and police commissioner that if someone tries to threaten Hindus, then we will respond in the same language,” Somaiya said in a statement on Sunday.
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In the run up to the festival, the BMC has carried out an array of works at the Deonar abattoir wherein lakhs of vendors and people flock during a 15-day period of purchase as well as religious sacrifice of buffaloes and goats. According to senior civic officials, at least 1.8 lakh goats and more than 14,000 buffaloes are expected to arrive into the Deonar abattoir premises in light of Eid Al Adha.
Gearing up for the influx of animals and people, the civic body has made arrangements for shelter across 1.10 lakh square metres of land with nearly 10,000 square metres of space earmarked for religious sacrifice of buffaloes. This year, the BMC will deploy 215 sanitation workers alongside six pick-up vans, three JCBs and dumpers as well as special vehicles for transportation of dead animals and disposal of 7,500 metric tonnes of waste generated around the slaughterhouse during a 15-day period.
For security, the BMC will rope in 500 police officers and 200 security guards while 210 fixed cameras alongside 170 bullet cameras, 34 dome cameras and PTZ cameras have also been installed to ensure monitoring.
