The meat shop owners in Hubli say that there is no impact on their business amid the call for the boycott of ‘Halal’ meat.
Nagraj Pattan, a meat shop owner in Hubli said, “There has been no impact at least in our area. Some ask for halal and some jhatka meat and we provide both as per their requirements.”
“Row over ‘Halal’ meat hasn’t yet affected my business. In fact, there has been an increase in the demand for meat amid the ongoing festivals of Varshadodaku, Kannada New Year of Ugadi and Ramzan,” said another meat vendor.
Mahesh Tenginkai, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary, Karnataka said, “There is no impact as such on the business of meat vendors here.”
The ‘Hindu Jana Jagruthi Samiti’ along with Bajrang Dal and some right-wing activists recently claimed that Muslims perform rituals according to their faith before killing animals for ‘Halal’ meat, which is then consumed by Hindus.
They organized a campaign to boycott ‘Halal’ meat and urged people to buy meat only from Hindu meat sellers.
The controversy came ahead of the ‘Varshadodaku’ festival, which is celebrated a day after the Kannada New Year of Ugadi, when the meat is in much demand as several communities across the state, including Hindus, organize a non-vegetarian feast.
The Opposition has condemned the Basavaraj Bommai government over the ‘Halal’ meat row, calling it election propaganda of the BJP.
Bommai had earlier said that the state government will look into the ‘Halal’ meat issue as “serious objections” have now been raised about it.
Asked about the call for the boycott of ‘Halal’ meat by some right-wing organizations, Bommai had said, “As far as my government is concerned, we are not right-wing or left-wing, only growth wing.” (ANI)
