Pokémon GO has had its fair share of controversies, even before it’s official launch in India. After a Dargah in Bareilly issued a Fatwa against the game, now a PIL has been filed in Gujarat against the game’s developers, Niantic Inc.
According to the PIL filed by Alay Anil Dave at the Gujarat High Court, the game hurts the religious sentiments of certain communities as it shows eggs at religious places.
The reason for this is that when players play the game, many pokéstops in India are temples and you get eggs from them so that you walk around and hatch them for new Pokémon. The PIL states that eggs are considered as non-vegetarian and it is considered to be blasphemy if they’re carried or found in a religious place.
That is not it. There are other points also raised against the game, that it is an infringement of privacy and that it is a hazard to the lives of players, who have to walk around to score progress in the game.
https://twitter.com/SahilBulla/status/752539928416940032
Dave’s lawyer, Nachiket Dave, was quoted as saying,
With loads of such cases filed against Niantic Inc. ever since the game launched, it’s interesting to see how they will respond.
News source: The Economic Times
Cover image sources: 1 & 2