Used to go to a vegetarian hotel run by Muslims in Kerala because he maintained the standards: Supreme Court judge

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court judge S V N Bhatti on Monday said he regularly visited a vegetarian restaurant run by a Muslim during his stay in Kerala as the restaurant adhered to international standards.

Justice Bhatti shared his experience when he sat along with Justice Hrishikesh Roy in a bench blocking the directives of the BJP-ruled states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which asked restaurants along the Kanwar Yatra route to list the names of their owners and staff, but said they may be required to list information about the type of food they serve, such as whether they are vegetarian or non-vegetarian, PTI reported.

“I gained my experience and knowledge when I was in Kerala. I may not say it openly as I am a sitting judge of this court. Without naming the city, there is a vegetarian hotel run by a Hindu. There is another vegetarian hotel run by a Muslim.

“As a judge in that state, I went to the hotel run by a Muslim for vegetarian food. As far as food standards and safety, he showed everything. He had returned from Dubai. He maintained international standards of safety, cleanliness and hygiene. So it was my choice to go to that hotel,” Justice Bhatti said.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra, said, “You choose based on the menu and not on your name.”

The court has issued notice to the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh, where the Ujjain municipal corporation has issued a similar directive, following a large number of petitions challenging the orders.

The Supreme Court was hearing a batch of petitions, including those filed by Moitra, academic Apoorvanand Jha and columnist Aakar Patel, and NGO Association for Protection of Civil Rights, challenging the guidelines. (With PTI inputs)