New Delhi: The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has, in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in the pleas challenging a notification by the Uttar Pradesh government banning halal-certified products, said that the statements made by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on halal certification during the last hearing was misleading.
The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust is among the petitioners challenging a notification issued by the office of the commissioner, Food Safety and Drug Administration, Uttar Pradesh, under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 banning the manufacture, sale, storage and distribution of halal-certified products within Uttar Pradesh with immediate effects, except for items produced for export.
Centre’s misleading submissions has created serious prejudice to the concept of halal: Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust
The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has said that the Centre has made misleading submissions which has created serious prejudice to the concept of halal.
“Unfortunately, the Central Government has made misleading submissions which has created serious prejudice to the concept of halal and enabled the prejudiced media to create a narrative against the very concept of Halal.”
What direction Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has sought?
The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has sought a direction from the apex court to the Centre for disclosure of the fact as to which officer instructed Mehta to make the said statement before the top court, saying these statements have caused serious prejudice to the concept of Halal.
“This Hon’ble Court may direct the Central Government for disclosure of the fact as to which officer instructed the Ld. Solicitor General to make such statement before this Hon’ble Court as these statements have caused serious prejudice to the concept of Halal; which is considered to be one of the basic requirements of behavior and lifestyle (including eating habits and consumption in general) of a very large community of our country. It is a serious issue of religious belief and practice of a large section Indian citizenry and the same is protected under Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution of India,” the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has said.
What did Solicitor General earlier tell court?
Mehta earlier told the apex court that halal-certification is not only for meat items but was also for non-meat products, such as cement and iron bars and few lakh crores were being collected by the halal-certifying agencies, which made prices of various products costlier. He, while arguing that why should non-believers be made to pay higher cost for halal-certified products, had further submitted that even wheat flour and gram flour has to be halal-certified and had asked how can gram flour be halal or non-halal.
What has Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust said on Mehta’s submissions?
On the submissions made by Mehta on halal-certification of iron bars and cement, the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has denied of having issued any halal certification to iron bars or cement. It, however, has pointed out that some steel and cement manufacturing companies ensure that the material used in preparing packaging products are halal, Livelaw reported.
The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has further said that it is also a matter of right of an individual to be informed with the component used in edible products whether it is vegetarian food or a non-vegetarian food.
“For instance, Tulsi water, or Lipstick or biscuits with or without chocolate, packaged water bottles are projected to be as ridiculous expansion of Halal Certifications. The said criticism of ridicule is baseless and due to ignorance of fact in general public,” the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind Halal Trust has said.
