DNA Explainer: What is Karnataka ‘Anti-Halal’ Bill? Will it stop restaurants from serving halal meat?

There has been a political war between the ruling Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and Congress in the Karnataka assembly over the introduction of a private bill, which has the intent of prohibiting the distribution of halal meat in the state.

The new controversial bill, which is being dubbed the ‘Anti-Halal’ Bill due to its terms, has been much talked about by several BJP members, who raised many questions on the distribution of halal meat during Hindu festivals such as Navratri and Ugadi.

BJP MLC N Ravikumar planned to introduce the ‘Anti-Halal’ Bill in the Karnataka assembly this week, kicking up a war of words between the ruling party and opposition Congress. Ravikumar has also talked about making Karnataka a halal-free zone in the past.

What is the Anti-Halal Bill controversy in Karnataka?

According to the initiative taken up by N Ravikumar, the new ‘Anti-Halal’ bill has plans to implement an order to ban food certification from any organization other than the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

This means that the BJP MLC is planning to introduce a bill that will bar all independent Muslim organizations from issuing halal certificates to meat shops and restaurants, which can prohibit the distribution of halal meat in Karnataka.

However, it does not mean that halal meat sales will be banned in Karnataka. It just means that the halal certification for many restaurants and meat shops can be revoked, and they will have to reapply for government certification by the FSSAI.

The Anti-Halal bill has kicked up a political storm in the Karnataka assembly, with many Congress members terming it as an “Anti-Muslim” bill, which is being targeted towards a specific community.

There have been several protests by Hindutva groups and Hindu leaders against the sale of halal meat in restaurants during Hindu festivals, calling for a complete boycott of outlets like Mcdonald's and KFC, which are known to serve mostly halal-certified meat.

The Anti-Halal bill has not been passed by the Karnataka assembly yet, and it is likely that the Basavaraj Bommai government in the state will back its implementation.

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