A Public Interest Litigation petition has been filed in India’s apex court to seek an India-wide ban on Halal certified products and withdrawal of Halal certification, Law Law reported.
The petitioner Advocate Vibhor Anand stated that he was demanding the ban on behalf of “85% Citizens of the Country” upon whom Halal products are being allegedly forced upon.
“Only because the Muslim minority, which is 15% of the population, wants to consume ‘Halal’ food, it is being forced upon the rest 85% of the people. ” the petition states.
According to the petitioner, this is results in the violation of the fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
“The present petition is being filed by the petitioner on behalf of 85% Citizens of the Country for the enforcement of their Fundamental Rights provided under Article 14, 21 of the Constitution of India as the same is being infringed and violated. It is being seen that for the sake of 15% of the population, the rest 85% people are being forced to consume the Halal Products against their will”.
Pertinently the demand for the ban was first raised by a Minister in Karanataka, who said that Halal products should be banned.
On March 29, BJP national secretary and Chikmagalur MLA C T Ravi claimed that the sale of halal meat amounts to “economic jihad”.
Sri Rama Sene,a right wing extremist group founder Pramod Muthalik from Karnataka raised a campaign stating that the money earned from selling halal products was being used to fund bail for jailed terrorists.
Halal is an Arabic term which means permissible or lawful in Islam. In reference to food, it is the Islamic dietary standard, as prescribed in the Shari’ah (Islamic Law).