Mumbai, April 7 (IANS): Maharashtra heaved a collective sigh of relief on Tuesday as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that after the ban on beef, the state government was not contemplating a similar ban on any other meat product.

Fadnavis gave this assurance in the legislative assembly on Tuesday in response to a member's question on the issue after a statement by the state advocate general in the Bombay High Court on Monday.

Advocate General Sunil Manohar had informed a division bench of Justice V.M. Kanade and Justice A.R. Joshi that the ban on beef "was just the beginning", giving rise to speculation that the government was planning to impose a ban on other meat products like mutton and chicken as well as fish.

"We may consider banning the slaughter of other animals too... to instill a sense of compassion towards other living beings. Presently, the state felt it necessary to protect cows, bulls and bullocks," Manohar said during the hearing of petitions challenging the ban on beef.

While declaring that the government was only opposed to slaughter of bulls and bullocks, Fadnavis said the advocate-general's statement was misconstrued and there was no move to ban any other meat products.