Halal meat is akin to "economic jihad": CT Ravi

Bengaluru, Mar 29: Halal food is akin to "economic jehad", BJP national general secretary CT Ravi said, as some wing groups are now giving a call to boycott halal meat. Over the past few days, there was a flurry of messages on social media appealing to Hindus to shun halal meat, especially after Ugadi, the Hindu New Year festival.

A day after Ugadi, a section of non-vegetarian Hindus offer meat to God and celebrate the New Year. Right-wing activists are now asking people to skip the ritual.

This comes close on the heels of a ban on Muslim vendors around temples during the Hindu religious fairs in parts of Karnataka.

"Halal is economic jihad. It is used like jihad to stop Muslims from doing business with others. It has been imposed. When they think that halal meat should be used, what is wrong in saying that it should not be used?" Ravi told reporters.

He said the halal meat offered to "their God" is dear to them (Muslims) but for Hindus, it is somebody's leftover. He also said that halal has been designed in a planned way so that the products are purchased only from Muslims and not others.

"When Muslims refuse to buy meat from Hindus, why should you insist on Hindus buying from them? What right do people have to even ask this?" Ravi asked.

To a query on boycotting halal meat, the BJP leader said such trade practices cannot be one-way traffic. If Muslims agree to eat non-halal meat, these people (Hindus) will also use halal meat, he added.

Meanwhile, former chief minister and JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy denounced such trends and asked Hindus to not "spoil" the state, which is a "garden of racial peace and faith".

"I want to ask the government where you want to lead this state to. With folded hands, I ask Hindu youths not to spoil the state," Kumaraswamy said.

He appealed to the youths to shun those who disturb peace as there would be difficult days ahead.

The JD(S)' second-in-command held the Congress accountable for the rise in communal politics.

"Congress brought such a government into the state. Now, the Congress calls the BJP government immoral. Who's responsible for it? Neither the JD(S) nor HD Kumaraswamy is responsible for the current situation. Because of the tortures of Congress, people of the state are suffering," Kumaraswamy alleged.

Meanwhile, 61 progressive thinkers from the state, including K Maralusiddappa, Prof SG Siddaramaiah, Bolwar Mahamad Kunhi and Dr Vijaya, have written to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai with an appeal to check religious hatred.

"It is shameless work to deliberately instil religious hatred in this land where the epistle is sung as a garden of racial peace," they said in their letter.

"Festivals are held all over the state and are all economic and cultural dimensions that do not make any Muslim relatives wealthy," they said.