The Telangana High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to file counter in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking an order to restrain the government from spending money and making arrangements for the distribution of fish prasadam.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Raghvendra Singh Chauhan and Justice Shameem Akthar instructed the government to present its counter by Friday.
The petition was filed by child rights activist P. Achyuta Rao contending that fish prasadam has no scientific basis and its distribution has no legal sanction.
The petitioner, Mr. Rao of Balala Hakkula Sangham, stated that it was not correct on part of the officials to spend crores public money on distribution of fish prasadam, which was being organised by private persons. The ACJ sought to know from the petitioner what was wrong if the government made arrangements and provided facilities for people’s congregations.
The Bench observed that normally, the officials would extend facilities from safety and security points of view during massive congregations of people and distribution of fish prasadam was one such event.
The petitioner’s lawyer, C. Damoder Reddy, told the Bench that earlier the persons offering fish prasadam used to claim that it was medicine. But the HC declared in 2012, following some writ petitions, that it cannot be termed ‘fish medicine’. He contended that fish prasadam has no medicinal properties though the persons offering it have been claiming that it cures ailments like asthma.
The lawyer pointed out that the Andhra Pradesh Lokayukta had passed an order in 2013 stating that there was no need for the Fisheries Department to supply small fish for the event or make other arrangements. Challenging this decision, the Bathini Mrigasira Trust had filed a petition in the HC, but it was dismissed.