Ban halal-certified foods in Maharashtra, demands BJP MLA Nitesh Rane

Nitesh Rane. File Pic

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nitesh Rane has sought a ban on halal certification of food items in Maharashtra on the lines of the decision taken by his party's government in Uttar Pradesh, reported the PTI on Thursday.

The Uttar Pradesh government, on November 18, banned the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products with halal certification with immediate effect while exempting products manufactured for export.

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Speaking to reporters on the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan complex in Nagpur on Wednesday, Nitesh Rane claimed the money from this process was being used to fund terrorism, as per the PTI.

"Halal, jihad and love jihad are major concerns. The money collected in the name of halal certificate is being used to fund terrorism. It is used against the Hindu religion. We have all evidence related to this," he alleged, according to the PTI.

"Maharashtra should ban halal certification in the same way that the Uttar Pradesh government has done. There are two companies that provide such certification.

They are also from Maharashtra," he claimed.

The Kankavli MLA said he would write to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also hold the home portfolio, in this regard.

Meanwhile, last month, the police in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow had registered a case against entities, including Halal India Private Limited Chennai and Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust Delhi, for allegedly exploiting religious sentiments to boost sales through the issuance of "forged" halal certificates, the UP government said in a statement.

News wire PTI reported that the case was filed based on a complaint alleging a large-scale conspiracy targeting specific communities and products, potentially harming business interests and contributing to anti-social activities.

The case was registered at the Hazratganj police station in Lucknow on Friday on the basis of a complaint lodged by Shailendra Kumar Sharma, a resident of Motijheel Colony in Aishbagh.

The case has been registered under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 298 (uttering words, etc, with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings), 384 (extortion), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.

Citing the FIR, the UP-government statement said that the said companies allegedly issued forged halal certificates to various companies for financial gains, fostering not only social animosity but also violating public trust.

(with PTI inputs)