HC rejects plea on quashing notification for free distribution of rice to mosques

Chennai, April 28: The Madras High Court has rejected a prayer sought  by the Hindu Munnani in a petition seeking quashing of a government notification for free distribution of 5,450 tonnes of raw rice to mosques for poor Muslims during Ramzan.

However, the court issued notice to state government authorities concerned on the other prayer to grant food items like rice to the poor in the state without any discrimination during the lockdown imposed due to COVID-19, PTI reported.

“A part of the prayer sought for by the petitioner to quash the impugned notification, is unsustainable as the petitioner organisation is proceeding on religious lines,” a division bench of Justices M Sathyanarayanan and M Nirmal Kumar said, citing a Supreme Court order. “…supplying the entire rice to a particular religion is unfair at this situation, the government shall give the same under public distribution scheme (PDS) to all those who are being poor,” the petitioner said.

The bench issued notice to government pleader Jayaprakash Narayan on the second prayer to grant food items without any discrimination and posted the matter for further hearing on May 7.