Lucknow, May 13 (PTI): The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to renew licences of legally operated abattoirs in the state.
The court also directed the state government to issue new licences to slaughterhouses if they fulfilled the conditions laid down under the rules.
It said that the government had no authority to prevent someone from eating the food of their choice.
The matter will come up for hearing again on July 17.
In the last hearing, the court had said that the food habits of the people were not only part of the “secular culture” but were also part of “right to life”.
Hundreds of “illegal” slaughterhouses and meat shops were sealed across the state after the BJP government assumed power. Closing “illegal” slaughterhouses was part of the BJP’s election manifesto and officials were given strict orders to close all such shops and abattoirs.