The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to renew the licenses of the legally operated slaughterhouses in the state.
The court also directed the government to issue new licenses for the slaughterhouses if they fulfilled the conditions laid down under the rules.
The court said that the government had no authority to prevent anyone from eating the food of his choice. The matter will come up for further hearing on July 17.
On the previous 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 had been sealed across the state after the BJP government assumed power in the state. The closing of ''illegal'' abattoirs was part of BJP's election manifesto and the officials were given strict orders to close all such shops and abattoirs.
(Published 12 May 2017, 14:13 IST)
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