Augmented reality game Pokemon Go has landed up in an Indian court over allegations it is hurting the religious sentiments of millions of vegetarians.<\/p>\n
The high court in Gujarat state was asked to ban the game because its images of eggs in places of worship were “blasphemous” to Hindus and Jains.<\/p>\n
The court has asked the makers of Pokemon Go to respond to the charges.<\/p>\n
It is unclear if the makers, Niantic Inc, will do so. The court move has been met with derision on social media.<\/p>\n
Pokemon Go has not been officially released in India, but many still play thanks to workarounds.<\/p>\n
The game can be accessed from an Indian phone by signing into an iTunes account of any country where the game has been released.<\/p>\n
Many reports say temples are often Pokestops – especially marked landmarks where players can gather supplies.<\/p>\n
The petition also cited infringement of privacy, and a possible threat of life to the players searching for Pokemons as further grounds for banning the game.<\/p>\n
The news invited ridicule on social media, with Pokemon Go trending on Twitter in India.<\/p>\n
Many criticised the “frivolity” of the case, including former minister Shashi Tharoor who tweeted: “To file in the “Only in India” category! Would be funny if such frivolous cases didn’t clog our judicial system.”<\/p>\n