New Delhi: Advocate Ashwini Updhyay, while opposing halal certification, has sought implementation of one nation, one certification, saying it is not only against the existing laws but also against our Constitution.
“When we have existing laws to deal with certification of various products of food and non-food items, why do we need Halal certification. It is not only only against the existing laws, it is also against our Constitution,” Upadhyay said.
Issue of halal-certified of non-meat products was raised in apex court
Upadhyay was speaking on the issue of halal certification following a Monday hearing in the Supreme Court, where the issue of halal certification of non-meat products was raised.
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What did Mehta tell apex court bench?
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Monday told a bench comprising Justice BR Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih that halal-certification is not only for meat items but 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.
Mehta, while submitting that even wheat flour and gram flour has to be halal-certified and asking how can gram flour be halal or non-halal, argued that why should non-believers be made to pay higher cost for halal-certified products.
Even cement and iron bars used are to be halal certified, Mehta told apex court
“So far as halal meat is concerned, nobody can have any objection. But your lordships would be shocked, as I was shocked, that even cement and iron bars used are to be halal certified,” Mehta submitted before the top court bench.
While Mehta asked that why should non-believers should be made to pay a higher price of products just because some people wanted halal-certified products, the counsels representing the petitioners said that it was a matter of choice and nobody was forcing anyone.
Apex court was hearing a batch of pleas challenging UP notification on halal-certified products
The apex court was hearing a batch of pleas challenging a notification issued by the office of the commissioner, Food Safety and Drug Administration, Uttar Pradesh, under the provision 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.
The apex court, during the hearing was also informed that the central government has filed its affidavit in response to the pleas.
The matter would be heard next in the week commencing March 24.
