After Uttar Pradesh, it has been demanded that the sale of ‘Halal’ certified products should be banned in Bihar too. The Modi government’s rural development minister, Giriraj Singh, has raised objections against the product being referred to as halal.
In a written letter to the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, the minister wrote that the sale of products labeled as ‘Halal Certified’ should be banned. According to him, this type of document is illegal. He has claimed that mentioning Halal certification in countries like India is actually a betrayal of democracy.
What is Halal Certification?
‘Halal’ in Islam means what is acceptable according to Islamic law. Halal certification means that a product has been manufactured according to Islamic principles. Many companies put the Halal stamp on their products.
Halal tag debate on food products in India has been going on for a long time. There is no official recognition of Halal food or products. However, there are a number of organizations privately issuing ‘Halal’ certificates called Halal India.
UP Goverment Banned Halal- certified products
The Uttar Pradesh government has already banned the sale of Halal-certified products on November 18. Illegal production, storage, distribution, and sale of Halal-certified edible items have been cited as a public health hazard. Using an FIR lodged at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow, the state government is left reeling over the matter.
According to the police, several food products with halal certification have been on the market for a long time. In this way, people’s faith is being used to sell products. It was also stated that certain products are being sold in the name of religion to customers of certain religions by Halal India Private Limited Chennai, Halal Council of India Mumbai, Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra Mumbai, etc. The profit from the sale of these halal products may go to anti-social and anti-state activities. So the government of Yogi Adityanath has taken such a decision. Some critics termed it as unnecessary limitation on consumer choice.
“Sanatan Dharma is under attack”
Giriraj Singh, representative of the state’s Begusarai Lok Sabha seat wants to follow this decision of Uttar Pradesh government.
Mr. Giriraj Singh said action should be taken against ‘destructive forces’ in Bihar like Uttar Pradesh.
In the letter written to Nitish Kumar on Thursday, BJP leader Giriraj Singh said that “Halal” certificates issued by various private organizations are illegal”So stop selling halal products.”
Singh wrote in the letter posted on his X handle that Certificates are given to some”Halal business”companies producing these products by paying a large sum of money.
He also added that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the sole agency entrusted with the responsibility of laying down science-based standards for food products.
But halal certification has emerged as a self-styled standard, and it is being used for trade in dry fruits, oil, cosmetics, salted foods, medicines, and even medical equipment.
He mentioned that according to statistics, the size of business activities related to halal certification around the world is about 2 trillion dollars. Linkages of such economies with terrorist activities are also coming to the fore, calling for a closer investigation.
According to the union minister, The sale of halal-certified products is similar to the ‘jizya tax’ imposed on non-Muslims in the medieval era. This injustice was tolerated by previous governments of Congress and its allies due to vote-bank concerns and politics of appeasement. Even in a big state like Bihar there is a need to impose a ban against the kind of ‘Jihad’ (holy war) going on in the name of halal products.
Singh claimed that the incident was linked to terrorist activities. According to him,The “Tukde Tukde” gang has made such products available in every corner of Bihar. The traditional Sanatan Hindu religion is under attack. Unbridled sales of Halal products will pave the way for Sharia rule. the minister alleged.
Controversial Comments
The demand to ban halal products in Bihar has sparked controversy among critics. Neither the Chief Minister nor the state government has yet responded to Union Minister Giriraj’s letter. The ruling Janata Dal (United) in Bihar spoke back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of ‘hypocrisy’. According to a leader of JD (U), Giriraj Singh has written to the Chief Minister keeping in mind the number of voter polarization.
Whether people buy Halal certified approved products or not is a matter of the buyer’s will and reluctance.
JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said that despite claiming to be the biggest defender of Sanatan Dharma, their own leaders in states like Uttar Pradesh act as the biggest exporters of beef.
Many political analysts feel that raising objections about Halal is trying to sharpen the BJP’s weapon of polarization. They are taking this route with the aim of consolidating the Hindu vote before the Lok Sabha polls.
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