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Union Minister Giriraj Singh has called for an immediate ban on Halal certificates for food products in Bihar, drawing inspiration from Uttar Pradesh’s recent actions. In a letter addressed to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Minister for Rural Development expressed concerns over the alleged connection between Halal certification and potential involvement in socially discriminatory and terrorist activities.
Singh argued that the issuance of Halal certificates, unrelated to Islamic standards, is an attempt to Islamize products that have no connection to the religion. He accused institutions of acting as self-proclaimed authorities in issuing Halal certificates, claiming substantial payments from companies producing these goods.
Expressing apprehension about a potential conspiracy behind Halal certification and business, Singh urged the Bihar CM to follow Uttar Pradesh’s lead and take strong measures against what he perceives as a divisive and conspiratorial trend.
“I request you to take strict action against such divisive and conspiratorial elements by imposing a ban against the kind of jihad going on in the name of Halal products, even in a big state like Bihar,” the minister stated.
Uttar Pradesh recently imposed a ban on the distribution and sale of certain Halal-certified products, excluding those manufactured for export. The ban covered various products such as dairy, garments, and medicines, labeled as ‘Halal-certified’ by the manufacturing companies.
Singh’s call for action aligns with the Uttar Pradesh government’s assertion that Halal certification creates confusion about the quality of food items. The state argued that food certification should be handled by governmental agencies, with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman supporting this stance, emphasizing that food quality and testing are essentially government responsibilities carried out by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
