Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): There was total chaos in the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) council meeting on Tuesday over the recent cow slaughter incident, with heated sloganeering and members surrounding the Speaker’s chair.
During the meeting, divisional commissioner Sanjeev Singh suspended BMC veterinary officer Dr. BP Gaur in connection with the case.
The controversy triggered a sharp political confrontation between the BJP and the opposition, culminating in a Congress walk-out from the House. The House approved action against 11 other employees, who were suspended pending a departmental inquiry.
Amid the uproar, Council chairman Kishan Suryavanshi announced a complete ban on
animal slaughter within city limits. He declared that the city’s slaughterhouse would remain permanently closed and ordered the blacklisting of the contracting agency found responsible for the incident.
The meeting saw intense political sparring. As the leaders of the BJP restricted their demands to strict action against the contractor and erring officers and employees, opposition councillors held Mayor Malti Rai and Member of Mayor-in-Council (MIC) R.K Singh Baghel equally responsible.
The meeting ended amid political tension, with the slaughterhouse issue continuing to dominate civic and public discourse in the city.
Congress protest and walk-out
Congress councillors, including Leader of Opposition (LoP) Shabista Zaki, alleged that such a serious incident could not have occurred without political patronage and demanded the resignation of the MiC and the Mayor. The Congress councillors repeatedly surrounded the Speaker’s chair and raised slogans, insisting on accountability at the political level. When no action was announced against the MiC, opposition members staged a walk-out in protest. After their exit, the council passed all three agenda resolutions by a majority vote.
LoP accuses MiC
LoP Shabista Zaki said that the Congress walk-out was due to the failure to act against the MiC. She alleged that proposals to operate the slaughterhouse were approved by the Mayor-in-Council in 2024 and 2025 without being brought before the council, making the MiC equally responsible.
Proposals passed
The council went on to discuss and approve three major items on the agenda . These included replacing bulk water connections with individual household tap connections in about 829 colonies, a project estimated to cost Rs. 874 crore and including smart meters.
The council also approved a revised marriage registration fee structure of Rs. 130 if applied within 60 days, rising to Rs. 1,100 thereafter and a proposal to raise Rs. 200 crore through Green Municipal Bonds under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme.
