Supreme Court dismisses plea to lift non-veg ban near Somnath Temple

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking the removal of the ban on the sale, storage, and preparation of non-vegetarian food items in the areas surrounding the Somnath Temple in Gujarat. A bench comprising Justice P.B. Varale and Justice M.M. Sundresh decided not to interfere with the interim order issued by the Gujarat High Court.

According to a report by Indian Express Gujarati, restaurant owners affected by the ban argued before the apex court that their businesses would be ruined due to this decision. They further submitted that 80 percent of the country's population consumes non-vegetarian food. On this matter, the court observed that it is necessary to maintain a balance and, at this stage, they would not comment on the merits of the case. The bench stated, "We need to maintain a balance. We are not saying anything more on this at present."

However, the Supreme Court has requested the Gujarat High Court to deliver a final judgment in this matter as soon as possible. The court noted that since the case is currently at an interim stage, the hearing should be expedited. In a light-hearted remark regarding the Diwali festival, the bench added, "Celebrate the festival of lights by eating sweets. For now, keep the issue of vegetarian or non-vegetarian food aside."

The entire controversy began with a notification issued by the District Magistrate on August 10. This notification imposed a ban on preparing, selling, or storing non-vegetarian products in roadside stalls, shops, and restaurants located within a 500-metre radius of the Somnath Temple as well as on certain specific routes.

Restaurant owners challenged this order in the Gujarat High Court. On October 30, a single-judge bench of the High Court accepted the plea and sought a response from the government. The state government argued that the sale of meat, fish, and non-vegetarian food during festivals could hurt the religious sentiments of devotees and create inconvenience. In this case, a single-judge bench had ordered the removal of the ban, but subsequently, a two-judge bench stayed that order as an interim measure, which led the matter to reach the Supreme Court.

Somnath Temple is a Hindu temple located at Prabhas Patan in Veraval, Gujarat. It is an extremely sacred pilgrimage site for Hindus and holds the first position among the 12 Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. Texts such as the Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana mention the pilgrimage at Prabhas Patan on the coast of Saurashtra.