Don't dictate what people should eat: Gujarat HC rips Ahmadabad Corp

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court that heard a plea filed by 25 street vendors against the seizing of their vending carts by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for selling non-vegetarian food items said that the corporation had no right to decide what people should eat.

Directing the AMC to deal with the cart holders as expeditiously as possible when they approach for the release of their goods, Justice Biren Vaishnav said the court could not comprehend what really hurts the municipal corporation?"

Justice Vaishnav roasted the Corporation for the decision asking would it dictate what he should eat outside. The petitioners complained that the corporation had taken away their carts without giving any official order and because of adverse positions taken by civic bodies in Vadodara, Surat, Bhavnagar, Junagadh and Ahmedabad.

The petitioners also cited the Rajkot Mayor's remark last month that carts selling non-vegetarian food hurt religious sentiments.

The Corporation counsel, however, made it that the decision shall not be linked to nov-veg versus veg food carts but it was aimed at removing encroachment on the road. The Corporation said that there was a misconception that it was not a drive to remove carts selling non-veg foods but a drive to remove carts that make a hindrance to public traffic or absolute blockage of pedestrians.

Justice Vaishnav, however, inquired if the encroachment removal was being undertaken under the guise of targeting non-vegetarian item sellers.