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'Pokémon GO' Release Date News: Religious Groups Want Game Banned In India; China, South Korea Launch Still Uncertain

'Pokémon GO' Release Date News: Religious Groups Want Game Banned In India; China, South Korea Launch Still Uncertain

Jazz Rosin

Over eighty countries have been enjoying the augmented-reality mobile game "Pokémon GO," but it looks like India may have to wait a bit further due to a new hurdle.

Another public interest litigation has been filed in Gujarat against Niantic Lab's popular mobile game. According to IB Times, the public interest litigation was filed due to the game allegedly "hurting religious sentiments" by showing virtual eggs in places of worship.

Some religious groups like Hindus and Jains restrict themselves from eating non-vegetarian foods, and these includes eggs. As such, these kind of foods are not allowed inside Hindu and Jain temple premises.

The PIL was filed on Tuesday by a division bench of Chief Justice R Subhash Reddy and Justice Vipul Pancholi, IB Times reported.

"People playing the game get their points in the form of eggs which generally appear in the places of worship of different religious groups,' the petitioner's lawyer, Nachiket Dave said, India Today reported. "To find eggs in temples of Hindus and Jains is blasphemous, and therefore my client has sought ban on the game from the country."

Gujarat High Court then issued notices to the Indian central government and the state government, as well as Niantic Labs themselves, Asian News International reported.

It is a frustrating moment for Indian Pokémon fans who have been waiting for the game's release date since July. Last month, a separate public interest litigation was filed against "Pokémon GO," this time citing the road accidents caused by drivers playing the game while behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, most players in India have lost interest in the game, with some saying that they will no longer download it once released.

Niantic Labs has no further announcements if the game will be launched anywhere else apart from the current countries, which still leaves South Korea, China, and UAE, among others, in the dark.

Stay tuned for more "Pokémon GO" news.

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