YOU DON'T LIKE NON-VEG, IT'S YOUR PERSPECTIVE - HOW CAN YOU CONTROL PEOPLE FROM EATING WHAT THEY WANT - GUJARAT HC

The Gujarat HC, while hearing a plea by petitioners whose carts were seized by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for selling non-veg food. The Court came down heavily on the Corporation and proceeded to ask whether the counsel for the respondent that whether the State will decide what people will eat outside their houses?

"How can you control people from eating what they want? because someone in power thinks that this is what they want to do?" "You don't like non-veg; that is your perspective. How can you decide what I should eat outside?"

Counsel appearing for the petitioners/vendors submitted that the episode started in Rajkot when the councilor got offended after seeing the vendors selling non-veg food on the streets. The Corporation followed the same. The Corporation seized the stalls on the ground of poor hygiene practices, but the action was without any resolution.

Counsel for the Corporation informed that the petitions were filed under the misconception that the Corporation tried to remove non-veg food from the streets. The reason behind the act was that they were causing hindrance to traffic and obstructing pedestrians.

In response to the submission, Justice Vaishnav shot back,

"Be very honest. Near the Vastrapur Lake, there were sellers selling eggs and, on a night you decide because the party in power says that you don't want to sell eggs; will you pick them up and take them away?" How dare you indiscriminately pick up someone?"

Justice Biren Vaishnav disposed of the Petition and directed the Corporation to expeditiously consider the cases of the petitioners that approach the Corporation for discharging their goods. 

Author: Papiha Ghoshal