The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday banned the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products with halal certification with immediate effect. However, products meant for export were exempted.
The development came after police in Lucknow booked a company and three organisations for providing “illegal halal certificates” to retail products sold in the state.
Uttar Pradesh Food Safety and Drug Administration Commissioner Anita Singh in Saturday’s order stated, “Under section 30 (2) (d) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and powers under the section 30 (2) (a) of the Act, with an eye on people’s health, it is ordered that within the borders of Uttar Pradesh, a ban is immediately imposed on production, storage, distribution and sale of Halal certified food products. This is except (for) products for export.”
The state government alleged “malicious attempts” to discourage the use of products lacking a halal certificate not only seek “unfair financial benefits” but also form part of a “pre-planned strategy to sow class hatred, create divisions in society, and weaken the country” by “anti-national elements”.
Strict legal measures will be taken against any individual or firm engaged in the production, storage, distribution, buying, and selling of halal-certified medicines, medical devices, and cosmetics within Uttar Pradesh, the statement said.
“Unrestrained propaganda is being disseminated within a particular section of society to discourage the use of products lacking a halal certificate,” the statement said. This harms the business interests of other communities, it added, as quoted by PTI.
There are also fears that the “unfair advantage” is being passed onto “anti-social or anti-national elements”, the government said.
However, products manufactured for export will not be subject to the restrictions, it said.
Police had filed a case on the sale of products with “illegal halal certificates” after Lucknow resident and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) office-bearer Shailendra Kumar Sharma 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”, reports The Indian Express.
The complaint also claimed that “financial gains from the activity are being used to fund terror outfits”.
On Friday, police booked Chennai-based Halal India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi-based Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust, and the Mumbai-based Halal Council of India and Jamiat Ullema.
They were booked under 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).
The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind called the allegations baseless and said it would “take necessary legal measures to counter such misinformation”.