India, Aug. 14 -- Amid a backlash by Opposition leaders, as well as deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, over the ban on selling meat on Independence Day imposed by several municipal corporations in the state, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday that the "directives issued by civic bodies was based on a similar order issued by the Congress government in 1988".

On Tuesday, while Pawar opposed the ban, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had released a copy of a government resolution (GR) of 1988, which was issued when Sharad Pawar (who was with Congress at the time) was chief minister of the state.

On Wednesday, Fadnavis said while BJP supports citizens' freedom of choice in food, the "ban...