New Delhi, July 23: During a hearing on the Kanwar Yatra vendor directives, Justice SVN Bhatti of the Supreme Court of India emphasized the importance of food hygiene over identity disclosure. He shared his personal experience of visiting a Muslim-run vegetarian restaurant in Kerala known for its international hygiene standards.
“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 standards and safety, he was displaying everything. He had returned from Dubai. He maintained international standards of safety, cleanliness and hygiene. So it was my choice to go to that hotel,” Justice Bhatti observed as per a report by The Hindustan Times.
His comments came as the bench, headed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy, stayed the enforcement of orders by the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments that required shopkeepers along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names.
“Until the returnable date, we deem it appropriate to pass an interim order prohibiting the enforcement of the above directives,” the bench stated. The notices were issued to the states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh in response to a series of petitions challenging the orders.
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Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, argued that the orders were a veiled attempt to enforce identity disclosure. He was supported by senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, who contended that there was no legal basis for such orders.
