The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday, 18 November, imposed a ban on halal-certified food products in the entire state.
"The manufacturing, storage, distribution, and sale of halal-certified food products are banned with immediate effect," read an order issued by the UP Food, Safety and Drug Administration Commissioner Anita Singh.
However, an exemption has been made for halal-certified food products meant for export.
Besides food products, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetic products with halal-certified labels will incur legal action, according to a separate UP government order.
"Action will be taken against the concerned person/firm under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and related rules," the order read.
The ban comes after a case was filed by Lucknow Police on Friday, 17 November, against a few organisations that were reportedly issuing halal certifications for retail products.
The case that preceded the ban was lodged based on a complaint by Shailendra Kumar Sharma who alleged that "companies have started certifying certain products as halal to increase their sale among people from a certain community."
“Even vegan products like beauty oil, soaps, toothpaste etc are being given halal certificates. Such products don’t need a halal certificate," the complaint said.
Halal India Private Limited in Chennai, Jamiat Ullema Hind Halal Trust in New Delhi, Halal Council of India and Jamiat Ullema in Mumbai have been named in the FIR along with "other unidentified manufacturing companies and their owners, people part of anti-national conspiracy, people funding terror outfits."
The FIR invokes the following sections of the Indian Penal Code:
Sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy)
Section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups)
Section 298 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings)
Section 384 (extortion)
Section 420 (cheating)
Section 467 (forgery)
Section 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating)
Section 471 (using as genuine a forged)
Section 505 (statements conducing public mischief)
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