THE HALAL HULLABALOO

The use of a 'halal' tag that certifies if a product is 'permissible for consumption under Islamic laws is, ironically, not permitted in Uttar Pradesh anymore.

- Prashant Srivastava

While the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led state government says the ban is meant to crack down on the nexus that is exploiting religious sentiments to boost sales, the Opposition has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime of pushing yet another divisive agenda for political gains.

It was on November 18 that the UP government ordered a ban on production, storage, distribution and sale of halal-certified products across the state, a day after the Lucknow police booked four organisations-the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust, Delhi; Halal India Private Limited, Chennai; the Halal Council of India, Mumbai and the Jamiat Ulema Maharashtra-for allegedly issuing forged halal certificates to various companies for financial gains and fomenting social discord.