MIRA BHAYANDAR: The Mira Road area in Thane witnessed an extraordinary scene on Tuesday, a policeman running frantically with a pig in his arms while a crowd chased him, trying to grab the animal.The pig, residents claimed, was being brought in as part of a protest. And the trigger for the bizarre showdown was a dispute over goats being housed inside a temporary shed erected within a housing society ahead of Bakrid.The dispute snowballed into a tense standoff in Mira Road near Mumbai, triggering protests, slogan shouting, police deployment and political reactions over the last two days.The controversy erupted at the Poonam Cluster area’s Srishti Complex after around 40 to 50 goats were allegedly brought into the housing society premises for qurbani rituals associated with Eid ul-Adha. According to local residents and police officials, the animals were being kept inside a temporary shed erected within the society compound, which immediately drew objections from some residents and Hindu organisations.Residents opposing the arrangement argued that animal sacrifice should not take place inside a residential complex and should instead be conducted only at officially designated locations. Locals also complained about hygiene and inconvenience caused by the large number of goats inside the premises.Deputy commissioner of Police (DCP) Mira-Bhayandar Rahul Chauhan said objections were raised after goats were brought into the society premises for sacrifice ahead of Eid ul-Adha.“In the Poonam Cluster Society, some residents had brought goats onto the premises for qurbani on Eid ul-Adha. This drew objections from certain other residents. Upon receiving these objections, the administration convened a meeting to discuss the issue. Subsequently, the Municipal Corporation designated a specific location for this purpose,” Chauhan told news agency ANI.According to officials, the temporary structure erected for housing the goats was dismantled after protests. However, tensions escalated on Monday evening after members of the Muslim community allegedly gathered in protest and heated arguments broke out between members of both communities.Police intervened to pacify both sides, but a scuffle allegedly broke out later in the night.The situation intensified further on Tuesday after protesting residents gathered outside the society gates, raised slogans, recited the Hanuman Chalisa and attempted to bring a pig inside the complex in a counter protest. Visuals from the spot also showed members of certain Hindu groups carrying pigs near the protest site.Heavy deployment of Mira-Bhayander-Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police personnel was made across sensitive pockets of the area to prevent escalation. Police officials said the situation was eventually brought under control after the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation (MBMC) shifted the goats from the society premises to a designated municipal site using three pickup trucks.Chauhan said residents later mutually agreed to relocate the animals.“Within the society, a consensus was reached to remove the goats from the premises and relocate them to the site designated by the Municipal Corporation. The goats have now been shifted from the society to the designated municipal site, and there are currently no issues here,” he said.However, some residents and Hindu groups alleged that the goats had been brought into the society “illegally” and should never have been allowed inside the residential complex.Vishwa Hindu Parishad coordinator Harsh Singh told ANI that the presence of the goats inside the society had created problems for residents.He further claimed that tensions escalated during discussions inside the society and alleged that one person attacked protesters with a knife.“After a while, a person came and drew a knife and attempted to attack us. We were injured, and my hand was cut. We went to the Police Station, and an FIR was registered. The section of attempt to murder was not included in the FIR. Our primary demand is that Section 307 (attempt to murder) be registered against the accused,” he told ANI.Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya also visited Mira Road and demanded a ban on animal sacrifice inside housing societies, saying only designated spaces should be used for such purposes.What triggered the Mira Road standoff?
- Around 40-50 goats were allegedly brought into the Poonam Cluster housing society ahead of Bakrid
- A temporary structure/shed was erected inside the society premises to house the goats for qurbani rituals
- Some residents and Hindu organisations objected to goats being kept inside a residential complex
- Residents insisted animal sacrifice should take place only at officially designated municipal sites
- Tensions escalated after protests, slogan shouting and counter demonstrations outside the society gates
- The situation intensified after some protesters attempted to bring a pig inside the complex
- Police and MBMC later intervened and shifted the goats to a designated civic site to restore order
(With agency inputs)
