Political row erupts in U.P. over Adityanath’s ‘halal certification’ remarks

A political slugfest broke out in Uttar Pradesh after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged people to check for “halal certification” on products before purchasing them, reiterating his government’s opposition to such certifications. The Chief Minister alleged that profits from halal-certified products were being used for conversion, “love jihad”, anti-social activities, and terrorism.

Opposition leaders criticised the statement, saying it was an attempt to polarise the electorate and distract from pressing economic and employment issues.

“When the State government has already banned such products, why is the CM making statements on it? The real aim is the Bihar election. The BJP has given Yogi ji the job of polarising society for political gains. My question is what the Uttar Pradesh government is doing to provide jobs to the youth, how much investment is coming to our State – these are the real questions of U.P. Our CM is diverting attention from economic and employment issues through such statements,” Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai told The Hindu.

Samajwadi Party Rajya Sabha MP Javed Ali Khan said the Chief Minister was reviving a settled issue for political reasons. “The decision of banning the production, storage, distribution, and sale of food products with halal certification was taken roughly two years back by the U.P. government. The Chief Minister is bringing the issue again to the forefront for political gains and creating a Hindu-Muslim binary. It makes no sense now to raise the issue,” Mr. Khan said.

Speaking at a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-linked event in Gorakhpur, Mr. Adityanath alleged that activities promoting “political Islam” continued under various guises. He said Uttar Pradesh had banned the sale of halal-certified products, claiming the proceeds were being used for conversion and terrorism, and urged people to buy indigenous products instead.

He further said that while British and French colonialism were often discussed, there was little mention of “political Islam”, which, he alleged, had inflicted the “greatest blow” on the Sanatana faith. “Our ancestors fought not only against the British and French but also against political Islam; heroes like Veer Shivaji and Maharana Pratap stand testimony to this,” he said.

In November 2023, the Uttar Pradesh government issued a notification prohibiting the production, storage, distribution, and sale of food products with halal certification, while exempting products manufactured for export.