Seven Bajrang Dal members were arrested on Thursday after an owner of a Chicken stall was attacked in Karnataka’s Shivamogga on Wednesday for selling ‘Halal’ meat and not ‘Jhatka’.
Similar incidents were reported from parts of Karnataka ahead of the Ugadi festival where Hindu right wing outfits demanded that Halal meat be banned, especially around and during the time of Hindu festivals in the state.
‘Halal’ in Arabic essentially means permissible, adhering to the Islamic form of slaughtering of animals or poultry, which involves killing through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery and windpipe so that all blood is drained from the carcass. However, besides meat, any food, including vegetables and water are ‘halal’.
On Wednesday, adding fuel to the controversy, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the state government would look into the “serious objections” raised over halal meat, with some right-wing groups giving a call to boycott it.