'Utter Violation Of Right To Live In Peace': PIL in Bombay High Court Seeks Ban On Advertising Non-Veg Food

Three Jain religious charitable trusts have approached the Bombay High Court with a PIL urging the court to order a ban on advertisements of non-veg food, terming such promotions as an "utter violation" of the right to live in peace.

"If some people want to eat non-vegetarian foods, they are free to do the same but showing/displaying the non-vegetarian foods in the houses of the people who are vegetarian is not good and proper and the same affects their constitutional and fundamental rights", the petition states.

The petitioners in the case are Shree Atma Kamal Labdhisurishwarji Jain Gyanrnandir Trust, Sheth Motisha Religious and Charitable Trust,Shri Vardhaman Parivar and businessman Jyotindra Ramniklal Shah. The central government, State of Maharastra, the Advertising Standards Council of India and private meat companies owning the brands like 'Licious' have been made respondents in the case.

The petition prays for a writ of mandamus directing the authorities to frame rules or guidelines to ban advertisement of non-veg food in any media. The petition also prays for a direction to the respondents to print warning on the packaged non-veg products stating, "Consumption of non-veg food is harmful to health and environment".

The petition, filed through advocate Gunjan P. Shah states, "Advertisement of non-vegetarian foods is gravely unconstitutional as it violates Article 21 which provides the rights to life which includes right to protect a person's tradition, culture, heritage, and all that gives meaning to a man's life."

The petition submits that vegetarians are forced to watch advertisements of non-vegetarian foods through media without their consent and the same infringes their right to live life peacefully, and right to privacy.

According to the petition, the advertisers "express and promote cruelty towards birds, animals, and marine life" and thus violate Article 51A(g) of the Constitution.

Such advertisements can cause serious harm to the environment leading to degradation and depletion of natural resources as killing of thousands of animals, birds, and marine life everyday causes and environmental imbalance, the petition states.

The petition cites actions of civic bodies and government in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand restricting sale and display/advertisement of meat and non-veg foods at certain locations including religious places such as Mathura, Rishikesh and Patilana (a Jain pilgrim site in Gujarat) to back its claim.

The petition is listed for hearing on Monday, September 26, 2022 before the division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Madhav J. Jamdar.