HC junks plea against ban on sale of meat, liquor in 22 Mathura wards

The Allahabad HC has dismissed a PIL against prohibition on sale and purchase of meat, liquor and eggs in 22 municipal wards of Mathura-Vrindavan by the state government.

India is a country of great diversity and it is essential to have tolerance and respect for all communities and sects if we wish to keep our nation united, the Allahabad high court has said, as it dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) against prohibition on sale and purchase of meat, liquor and eggs in 22 municipal wards of Mathura-Vrindavan by the state government.

The Allahabad HC was listening to a PIL filed by one Shahida, of Mathura district, who said that non-vegetarians in the aforesaid wards were being deprived of their choice of meals and to carry out businesses due to the order.

In a notification dated September 10, 2021, the state government had notified the 22 wards as “holy place of pilgrimage”. A day later, the Mathura food security officer (DFSO), passed an order suspending the registration license of the meat shops and restaurants in the aforesaid areas.

“India is a country of great diversity. It is absolutely essential if we wish to keep our country united to have tolerance and respect for all communities and sects. It was due to the wisdom of our founding fathers that we have a Constitution, which is secular in character and which caters to all communities, sects, lingual and ethnic groups etc., in the country. It is the Constitution of India which is keeping us together despite all our tremendous diversity, because the Constitution gives equal respect to all communities, sects, lingual and ethnic groups etc,” a division bench comprising Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava further said.

The court was listening to a PIL filed by one Shahida, of Mathura district, who said that non-vegetarians in the aforesaid wards were being deprived of their choice of meals and to carry out businesses due to the order.