SC judge explains between veg eateries run by Hindu and Muslim, which he chose and why
“He was maintaining international standards with regard to safety, cleanliness and hygiene. So, it was my choice to go to that hotel,” says Justice Bhatti
A Supreme Court judge on Monday (July 22) stated that he preferred to eat at a vegetarian restaurant run by a Muslim when he was posted in Kerala, as it maintained international standards of hygiene, indicating that what matters in following one’s choice of diet is hygiene and not religion.
The court was hearing pleas against directives issued by the BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand asking eateries along the Kanwar Yatra routes to display the names of their owners and staff. The Bench of Justices SVN Bhatti and Hrishikesh Roy stayed the directive but said eateries may be required to display information about the kind of food they serve, such as whether they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian.
What matters
During the hearing, Justice SVN Bhatti shared his experience when he was posted in Kerala. “I have my experience and knowledge when I was in Kerala. I may not state openly as I am a sitting judge of this court. Without disclosing the name of the city, there is a vegetarian hotel run by a Hindu. There is another vegetarian hotel run by a Muslim.
“As a judge of that state, I was going to the hotel run by a Muslim for vegetarian food. When it comes to food standard and safety, he was displaying everything. He had returned from Dubai. He was maintaining international standards with regard to safety, cleanliness and hygiene. So, it was my choice to go to that hotel,” Justice Bhatti said.
Choice by menu card
Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra, said, “You chose by menu card and not name.”
Singhvi said as a consequence of the directives, services of some employees of the eateries have been terminated. He asserted the directives lack any Constitutional or legal backing and infringe upon the secular character of the country.
Notice to 3 state govts
The top court said the directions and their enforcement will have implications for multiple states in the country where Kanwar Yatra takes place.
The Bench issued notice to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, where the Ujjain municipal body has issued a similar directive, on a host of petitions against the orders.
The top court was hearing a batch of pleas including those by Moitra, academic Apoorvanand Jha, and columnist Aakar Patel, and NGO Association for Protection of Civil Rights, challenging the directives.
(With agency inputs)
