- SC Judge Bhuyan: No law against eating chicken over Ganga.
- Expressed concern over criminalization of ordinary activities and delayed bail.
- Emphasized peaceful protest and dissent as fundamental rights.
Supreme Court Justice Ujjwal Bhuyan has made a significant remark, saying that no law prohibits eating chicken over the River Ganga. He made the remark while speaking at the Justice GP Singh 4th Memorial Lecture at the National Law Institute University (NLIU) in Bhopal, citing an incident where some young men ate chicken biryani on a boat in Varanasi during an Iftar party and threw the bones into the water.
He said that eating chicken in the Ganges River is not a crime and no one should be jailed for it. The SC judge also expressed concern over the "criminalisation of ordinary activities". The case relates to the arrest of 14 Muslim youths. They were charged with inciting religious sentiments and polluting the Ganges.
Justice Bhuyan said, "I am sure consuming chicken biryani is not an offence. It can't be an offence. There is no law prohibiting consumption of chicken over the Ganga river. They were arrested for that very reason, and they had to remain in jail for 3 months"
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He added that such cases highlight broader concerns about how courts handle petitions filed by citizens accused in protest-related cases. Raising concern over delayed bail, Justice Bhuyan observed that it comes after considerable delay and is accompanied by restrictive conditions.
Justice Bhuyan also expressed concern over the growing protests and freedom of expression in the country. He said that peaceful protest is a fundamental right of citizens. Debate and dissent are the soul of democracy. Unfortunately, even ordinary acts are now being considered crimes.
He said that people raising environmental issues and students protesting on campus are being treated like criminals. Many students are denied bail for 30-40 days and are even suspended.