Row over non-vegetarian food in Supreme Court canteen during Navratri

After the resumption of non-veg food in the Supreme Court's canteen, a section of lawyers approached the top court's bar association and other bodies, saying that the decision was taken "without taking into consideration the sentiments" of other people.

In Short

• Lawyers claim serving non-veg food during Navratri against 'pluralist traditions'
• Earlier, a group of lawyers protested providing only veg-food during Navratri
• Navratri is celebrated to honour nine forms of Goddess Durga

A major row erupted in the Supreme Court after a group of lawyers approached the court's bar association and other legal bodies, protesting the resumption of non-vegetarian food service at a Supreme Court canteen during the Navratri festival.

Navratri, a nine-day Hindu festival, is celebrated to honour the nine forms of Goddess Durga.

In a letter to the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA), senior advocate Rajat Nair expressed concern over the decision to resume non-vegetarian food service during the Navratri festival, alleging that it was made "without considering the sentiments of other bar members."

The decision was not in concurrence with the bar's "pluralist traditions", and showed intolerance and "lack of respect for each other", Bar and Bench quoted the letter as saying.

At least 133 lawyers, practising at the top court, have also endorsed the letter written by advocate Nair.

The opposition from this particular section of lawyers came days after non-veg food was resumed at the top court's canteen following a protest by another section of lawyers, against its banning during the Navratri festival.

On Tuesday, October 1, the serving of non-vegetarian food was allowed at the top court's canteen after a protest by the lawyers.

In its letter to Kapil Sibal, the president of the Supreme Court Bar Association of India (SCBA), the lawyers, protesting vegetarian food service, had said the decision to ban non-vegetarian food during the Navratri festival was "unprecedented" and "will also set a very wrong precedent for the future".

"For the first time this year, the Supreme Court canteen has announced that it will only serve Navratra food. This is not only unprecedented and will also set a very wrong precedent for the future...," the letter said.

After the protest from the section of the lawyers, the non-vegetarian food was resumed in the Supreme Court's canteen.