Khushi Doshi
Published on: April 19, 2022, at 14:08 IST
The Allahabad High Court recently dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) Petition alleging that State officials were harassing meat, wine, and egg buyers in Mathura Vrindavan wards designated as “Holy Places of Pilgrimage.”
A Bench of Justices Ashutosh Srivastava and Pritinker Diwaker noticed that there was no comprehensive Prohibition on meat and eggs, and that the limitation only applied to 22 wards in the city and not to other wards.
The Court went on to say that the Constitution, which accords equal respect to all communities, sects, linguistic and ethnic groups in the country, is what keeps us together despite our vast variety.
The Petitioner, a social worker, had requested that non-vegetarians in the 22 wards where meat, fish, and egg businesses were fully Prohibited be permitted to Transfer the forbidden products from outside for weddings and other celebrations.
It was also requested that the Local Police not harass people delivering these items into these wards.
Meat, wine, and eggs were Prohibited from being sold or purchased. The Petitioner, however, had not contested any of the Orders informing the same, according to the administration.
The State further emphasized that the Petitioner’s basic Rights were not violated because only reasonable limits were placed.
The Court considered this position, adding that because the Government instructions were not challenged, it would not linger on their constitutionality.
Furthermore, there was no comprehensive Prohibition, and the limitation applied only to 22 wards in the city, not other wards, according to the Court.
It went on to say that the Petitioner’s Claim that state officials are persecuting customers of material meat, wine, and eggs when it comes to transportation of the same is only a broad and sweeping assertion.