Karnataka BJP MLC N Ravikumar said on Wednesday that he will introduce a private member’s bill during the upcoming winter session of the assembly to be held this month to ban Halal certifications of food issued by Muslim organisations.
In his letter to the chairman, Ravikumar said that this Bill seeks to ban any company from advertising with a claim that a religious institution has certified the food product, according to The Hindu.
Halal is an Arabic word that translates to permissible in contrast with haram, which translates to forbidden. Any food or product which is prepared as per the Islamic law is ‘Halal’.
The BJP national secretary claimed that many organisations are charging money for issuing this certification in an unauthorised manner, Hindustan Times reported.
“The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is the government agency which gives the certification. But who gave these Muslim organisations the permission to certify halal products?” he told the news portal adding that they are not a certified authority to do this. “They charge lakhs of rupees to give halal certification. Where does this money go?”
“The Bill he moves in the legislature will seek amendments to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. This way, the government can take action against the illegal certification,” he added.
This move comes in the bakdrop of Hindu right wing outfit Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) demanding to ban halal certification on various products in the state. The HJS have been carrying out a campaign against the halal certification since this year.
On Tuesday, the group met several leaders of the ruling party and submitted a memorandum seeking a law to ban halal certification and formation of an ‘anti-Love Jihad’ police force in the state.
In October this year, HJS had demanded that the government should immediately stop issuing halal certificates in the country.
