A bench of judges of Lucknow from the Allahabad High Court said food habits and vending of food is related to the Right of Life, and cannot be curbed by the state government. The court has passed this after a retail meat shop owner from Kheri appealed for the renewal of license for his shop which he feared might be shut down after the crack down of UP government on the illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops.
The bench, made of Justice A.P. Sahi and Justice Sanjai Harkauli have expressed their concern to the UP government that they were closing down meat shops without giving them a chance for the renewal of their licenses. The bench, earlier this week, also considered the legal and constitutional provisions. The bench said that Article 21 of the constitution gives Right to Life to every citizen and cannot be controlled by anyone.
The Allahabad HC’s view echoed the Mumbai HC’s judgment on the beef ban in Maharastra, in which the court had said, “As far as the choice of eating the food of the citizens is concerned, the citizens are required to be let alone especially when the food of their choice is not injurious to health.The state cannot make an intrusion into his home and prevent a citizen from possessing and eating the food of his choice.” The Allahabad HC’s direction to the UP government had read, “Food that is conducive to health cannot be treated as a wrong choice and it is for this reason that provisions are obligated on the state to be made available for maintaining the requirement of supply of healthy foodstuff.”
The court also directed the government that they should give time for the committee to deliberate on the issue of granting and renewing licenses of slaughterhouses and meat shops. To which the government said that their intention was never to ban meat completely, but to shut down illegal slaughterhouses and meat shops.
