Profits from halal-certified products used to fund terrorism and ‘love jihad’, claims Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath on Tuesday claimed that profits made through the sale of halal-certified products were being used to fund terrorism, “love jihad” and religious conversion in the country.

Love jihad is a Hindutva conspiracy theory that Muslim men trick Hindu women into romantic relationships with the aim of converting them to Islam. The Union home ministry has told Parliament that Indian law has no provision defining such a term.

Speaking at an event to mark the centenary year of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader also claimed that transactions worth Rs 25,000 crore of halal-certified products were being carried out in the country.

The RSS is the ideological parent of the ruling BJP.

Halal is an Arabic term that means “lawful”. In the dietary context, where it is most commonly used, it refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic regulations.

In November 2023, the Uttar Pradesh government banned the sale, production, storage and distribution of halal-certified food items.

On Tuesday, Adityanath defended his government’s decision and claimed that even clothes and soap items were being sold with halal certification in Uttar Pradesh.

“No government agency has given this recognition to products,” said the chief minister.

He added that action would be taken against those “exploiting Indian consumers in the name of halal certification”.

After Uttar Pradesh’s ban,...

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