India, Aug. 14 -- With neither the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) nor the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) ordering the closure of slaughterhouses or meat shops on Independence Day, meat shops in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad will remain open as usual on August 15.

The decision comes amid a nationwide controversy sparked by some municipal corporations in the country ordering the closure of slaughterhouses and meat shops on August 15 and 16 on account of Independence Day and Janmashtami, respectively. In Maharashtra, similar directions from civic bodies in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Malegaon and Nagpur have triggered sharp (political) reactions. While some groups have come out in support of the closure as a sym...