A member of the Sat Bajrang Dal was arrested on Thursday after he attacked the owner of a chicken shop in Shivamogga, Karnataka, for selling ‘halal’ meat, not ‘jhatka’.
Similar incidents have been reported from parts of Karnataka before the Ugadi festival where Hindu right-wing groups have demanded a ban on halal meat, especially during and around Hindu festivals in the state.
In Arabic, halal means permissible, adhering to the Islamic form of slaughtering an animal or poultry, in which the jugular vein, carotid artery and airway are cut and killed to remove all the blood from the carcass. However, apart from meat, any food including vegetables and water is ‘halal’.
Adding fuel to the debate on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bomai said the state government would look into “serious objections” to halal meat, with some right-wing parties calling for a boycott.
The chief minister further said that as far as his government was concerned, there were “only wings of growth” and no right or left wing.
“This (halal issue) has just started. We have to study it thoroughly, because it has nothing to do with rules. This is a practice that is going on. Now there are strong objections to it. We will look into that, ”Bomai said in response to a question about the government’s position on the halal issue.
“We will announce our position later. Different organizations will run their own campaigns, we know what to respond and what not to do. We will respond where needed. We (do not respond) when it is not needed, “he said when asked to clarify the campaign by Hindu organizations to boycott halal.
Some right-wing groups have called for a boycott of halal meat, in the run-up to Barshadodaku, the day after Ugadi, when many communities in the state have a non-vegetarian feast. On Tuesday, BJP national general secretary City Robbie even called halal food an “economic jihad.”
Asked about issues like disrupting the amicable environment of the state, the Chief Minister said, “Despite all this, we have seen that the law and order and amicable environment of the state is not disrupted. We will take care of it in the future as well. ”
Asked if there was a tendency for right-wing organizations to be involved in such issues, he said: “As far as my government is concerned, there are only wings of growth. There is no right or left … Our central idea is peace, development and security for the common man. “About 61 progressive thinkers wrote to him, urging him to stop religious hatred in the state,” said Bomai. I will study it and see the actual position on the ground. I will consider the issues raised by them and decide on how to deal with them in the future. “
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