Liquor, meat shops not to close on Mahavir Jayanti

Chandigarh, Mar 30 (UNI) The Haryana government has declined to order closure of liquor vends and meat selling outlets on Mahavir Jayanti on March 31 as sought in a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The closure would cause loss of revenue to the state, it has asserted.

This was stated before the division bench of the Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Rajive Bhalla today during the resumed hearing on the PIL filed by Yamuna Nagar-based organization Jain Milan through its president R K Jain.

It was contended that liquor vends and shops are shut on October 2 being the birthday of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, who was known for being a follower of the philosophy of Lord Mahavira.

As such, it would be only in the fitness of things to order closure of shops on Mahavir Jayanti.

While adjourning the hearing to May 10, the division bench directed the counsel for the Haryana government to file an affidavit outlining the reasons that prompted the government against closure of these shops on Mahavir Jayanti.

UNI