UP govt looks to ban products with halal tag

The government spokesperson said: “Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is set to clamp down on the illicit practice of issuing ‘halal certificates’ to food and cosmetic products without proper authority”.

He said: “The state is likely to impose a ban soon and now, halal-certified products will not be sold in Uttar Pradesh… Under the guise of religion, unrestrained propaganda is being spread among a particular class.”

Recognizing the malicious attempt to exploit a specific religious sentiment and potentially incite discord among communities, the Chief Minister has directed stringent actions against such practices,” the spokesperson said Saturday.

Police had filed a case on the sale of products with “illegal halal certificates” after a BJP youth wing member filed a complaint claiming that “some companies have started certifying products as halal in order to increase their sale among a community” and that the practice is like “toying with the public’s faith”.

Police have booked Chennai-based Halal India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi-based Jamiat Ullema Hind Halal Trust, and the Mumbai-based Halal Council of India and Jamiat Ullema.

The FIR also names “other unidentified manufacturing companies and their owners, people part of anti-national conspiracy, people funding terror outfits”.

In the complaint, Lucknow resident and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) office-bearer Shailendra Kumar Sharma wrote: “It has come to my notice that some companies have started certifying certain products as halal to increase their sale among people from a certain community. This is being done for monetary gains with use of deceit. You can see such products in markets across the state and this is like toying with the public’s faith… Through these certificates (for halal), part of a conspiracy, advertisements are being done.”

The complaint said: “These companies are preparing these certificates targeting one specific community, and the criminal act of reducing the sale of products without these certificates is being done. I suspect that unsuitable benefits from these actions are being handed out to anti-social and anti-national elements…”

“Even vegan products like beauty oil, soaps, toothpaste etc are being given halal certificates. Such products don’t need a halal certificate. It is also being advertised among a community that products without halal certificates given by these companies should not be used. This is causing loss to businesses of the other community… This is being done not just for economic and material gains, but also to create animosity in society among communities. It is part of a conspiracy to weaken the country,” the complaint said.

The complaint also claimed that “financial gains from the activity are being used to fund terror outfits”.

The case was lodged under the IPC Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 298 (intent to wound religious feelings), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 505 (statements that cause public mischief).