The Gujarat high court issued notices to US-based maker of Pokémon Go and the state and central governments on Wednesday after a public interest litigation sought a ban on the augmented reality game, alleging it hurt religious sentiments by showing virtual eggs in places of worship.
The game uses augmented reality and mapping to make gaming visuals appear in the real world, overlaid on the landscape seen through the player’s cell-phone cameras.
Gamers can acquire virtual eggs and incubate them. Once an egg is hatched, the user gets a Pokémon monster that is added to his collection.
The petitioner, Alay Anil Dave, said the augmented reality game showed the image of eggs in places of worship and that it was blasphemous to carry non-vegetarian food inside religious places, PTI reported.
Soon after its launch, the game began facing a backlash after players were drawn to dark alleys and dangerous locations looking for the imaginary creatures of the game.
