After the row over alleged use of ‘halal jaggery’ in Sabarimala temple prasadam, controversy has erupted over the opposition BJP’s demand that halal certification boards at hotels and restaurants in Kerala be taken down.
BJP state president K Surendran said the boards had sprung up suddenly and alleged a conspiracy by “religious fanatic groups”. “In Kerala, suddenly in all major cities halal boards have sprung up in hotels. This is not an innocent phenomenon. There is some planning behind it and some religious fanatic groups are behind it. Earlier, we did not see such boards. Communal forces that aim to divide people are behind this,” he said.
“Halal boards coming up suddenly is not an innocent act. There is a clear agenda in creating this halal culture. Though other parties are unable to see this agenda, we have been able to see it clearly,” he added.
Kerala hotels and restaurants association has also submitted a complaint to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, demanding action against “vicious campaigns” over halal food.
Hitting out at the BJP, CPM politburo member MA Baby said the Kerala government will not entertain the “vicious communal-oriented demand made by the Sangh Parivar”.
“The Kerala government will preserve religious tolerance and will not allow any fanatical groups to create problems in the state, whether it is RSS-minded people or their counterparts,” he said.
Baby added that other groups can also rise up and demand ban on “pure vegetarian” boards. “Such boards are to make people aware whether food to their liking is available in the hotel or not… This kind of anti-social, anti-national, anti-constitutional approach that Sangh Parivar is following in different parts of the country is not going to work in Kerala,” he said.
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