The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to the Punjab government on a petition challenging the ban on the sale of meat in the walled city area of Amritsar, The Times of India on Monday.A division bench issued notice on May 29 on a plea filed by a meat wholesaler. The firm challenged a December notification issued by the administration banning the sale of meat, tobacco and alcohol in Amritsar’s walled city, Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district and Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district.The petitioner has argued that the ban had no statutory backing and that the state had used its executive power to enforce religious morality, The Times of India reported. The notification had been issued despite the Constitution not recognising religion-based territorial classification, the newspaper quoted the petitioner as having argued.The state had also not defined the “walled city” or “holy city” and what areas it comprises, Bar and Bench quoted the petitioner as having argued. The plea added that the administration had not prepared a policy to rehabilitate persons who depend on the trade of the banned products.The walled city is where the Golden Temple is located.The bench will hear the matter next on June 22.The Punjab government had notified a ban on December 15, three weeks after the Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to grant the three places the status of “holy cities”.Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said at the time that the cities “are not only religious centres, but also important symbols of our cultural heritage”.Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.