Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has once again stirred a storm with his remark linking halal certification with terrorism. His statement, delivered with the characteristic sharpness of electoral season rhetoric, has become a talking point across political and social circles.
For some, it’s another example of the BJP government taking a strong stance against religious appeasement. For others, it signals the deepening of a narrative that paints the Muslim community as suspicious.
Adityanath didn’t just talk about the ban on halal certification, he framed it as a weapon and a threat to society. Sadly, claiming that the industry’s Rs 25,000 crore revenue is used to fuel terrorism, “love jihad”, and religious conversion is not just a wild exaggeration, but a deliberate narrative designed to provoke fear.
As a Muslim, I find it absurd and troubling. Halal is not some hidden agenda; it is a simple, personal religious practice. It governs what we eat and consume, avoiding forbidden animal products, alcohol, or meat prepared in ways our faith forbids. This is no different from a Jain avoiding meat, a Hindu following sattvic principles, or a Jew following kosher.
Yet here, a routine religious choice is being twisted into a conspiracy. Halal certification is simply a private religious body certifying compliance with dietary laws. Companies may use it to market products to a Muslim community.
Ideally, Muslims don’t need halal certificate apart from meat consumption and avoiding food that is not halal in some cases helps to know if ingredients used are in accordance to the faith. However, if there are illegal activities being funded by anyone—Muslim, Hindu, Christian—the state’s job is to investigate and prevent it. You don’t ban a religious practice or demonise an entire community based on unverified assumptions.
Deliberate attempt to create public fear
What worries me most is the intent behind this language. It signals to millions that their faith, their everyday practices are nothing but politics. It’s not just about banning a certificate. It’s about creating an environment where everything related to Muslims has been constantly seen as potential threats. And when such narratives come from the top leadership of a state, it normalises suspicion, emboldens prejudice, and undermines the very idea of a plural, inclusive democracy.
If the concern is about a parallel system or lack of official oversight in halal certification, it could be raised calmly, with facts, and with a regulatory solution in mind. There is absolutely no need to invent wild claims about ₹25,000 crore being funneled into terrorism, “love jihad,” or religious conversion. Where is this figure even coming from? No credible source, no verification, just a number thrown into the public debate to create fear.
Yet, strangely enough, halal certification is perfectly fine when it comes to exports. Why that is, no one seems to know. The other part of Yogi’s speech—about “love jihad” and political Islam—is hardly being examined critically, and that itself is telling.
Political Islam is a well-studied phenomenon; there is ample research and literature. If the argument is that political Islam poses a threat to India, there are many avenues to discuss that thoughtfully but this speech doesn’t feel like that. Instead, it reads as a declaration for one community, for Sanatan, rather than as a message from the chief minister of an entire state.
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Equal rules for every citizen
Justice, fairness, protection of rights, these should be universal, for every citizen, Sanatani or otherwise. Yet, the tone and focus suggest otherwise, reducing governance to the language of identity politics rather than the principles of equity and law.
Yogi’s claim that “Political Islam dealt a greater blow to Sanatana than colonialism” is a simplistic and flawed historical argument. It’s a warning sign of how politics twists history to serve division. Centuries of complex social, political, and economic change are reduced to a single sound bite. Colonialism, internal social reforms, and movements across communities all shaped this land, but to single out one religion as the cause of harm is not analysis, it is provocation.
The deeper problem with statements like these is that a chief minister is speaking not as a leader of all citizens, but as a spokesperson for one community—making it almost synonymous with the nation itself. And why now? Is the intent to teach us how to coexist, to build a more harmonious society, or to reflect on past mistakes? Or is it to sow suspicion and fear?
We can talk about colonialism today, acknowledge its wrongs, learn from it, yet still maintain trade and diplomatic ties with Britain. But what lesson does “political Islam of the past” offer in this context, and why frame it as the “greatest blow”? The answer seems clear: it’s less about history and more about narrative.
For Yogi, the discussion becomes a way to highlight issues like demography, “love jihad,” and conversion as part of a larger “political Islam,” positioning Sanatan as the threatened community that needs protection. It’s a crafted story of victimhood and allegiance, one that benefits him politically: instead of being accountable to every citizen and their rights, he can consolidate a loyal vote bank that sees him as their protector.
I’ve observed this pattern before in my own community where fear of “the other” is invoked, people often demand less accountability and more security from their leaders. And what more could a politician ask for than that?
Amana Begam Ansari is a columnist and writer. She runs a weekly YouTube show called ‘India This Week by Amana and Khalid’. She tweets @Amana_Ansari. Views are personal.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)
The article is incomplete. For laboratory chemicals also Halal certificate is being demanded.
What is the need for such certification in case of lab chem?
It is being used as a revenue generation tool.
In the FIRST PLACE…. INDIA… AKA BHARAT … should have ZERO MUSLIMS after the latter Demanded and got their Islamic Homelands known as East/West Pakistan in 1947… Now known as Pakistan and Bangla Desh…
I agree that Muslims do not deserve Equal Rights, as Others, as they are ALL IN INDIA… ILLEGALLY… AS SIMPLE AS THAT…
Yes… Muslims deserve their “second/no-class” status in Bharat…. I say…. Pack your Bags and leave fof your “Promised Land”…. Pakistan or Bangladesh… created by Partitioning Indi/Bharat…. now “Sleep in the Bed” YOU DEMANDED & MADE…. no Crocodile Tears for Muslims in Bharat…. the earlier you leave… the better for ALL…
certification can’t be mandatory.. If someone is looking for it they should get it done.. one can’t enforce on everyone..
Leave the religion politics and think logically..
Ban Beef in India and more export too!
Is issuing authority of halal are not funding the terrorists cases ?
Why halal is required for Tea, Bedsheets, Clothes etc .
Artificial is out of context misguided and spreading misinformation.
1- Question mark on organisation which are certifying because of their activities and intention.
2-What is the purpose of certifying as Halal for dressing, match box ,flats and many things…
3-Most importantly it has terror connect.
Amana you have explained the facts and this is the truth which even though everybody sees but reluctant to accept that the rights of muslim community are targetted. In fact it is explained other way round by some learned people.
Major exports are owned by non muslims and there is a ban in many cities on purchase and sell of beef. Problem is not with organisations giving halal certification. Problem is that it is certified as halal which is as per practices of islam. Very true article.
The correspondent is misguiding the public but what Adiyanath ji said is totally true. Halal is a terrorists tool.
Completely misguiding and non informative article..
Problem is not HALAL, but with the institutions that certify products as Halal.
Private Organisations run by Terror Sympathizers are running the Halal Certification in India.
So any Manufacturer/ Producer has give to give cut to these organisations. Due to mass corruption in India, some charge is paid in White some in Black.
That Black money is used to fund Terrorism, fund supreme court advocates for the people arrested for different crimes.
The writer is either ignorant, or a jihad Sympathizers herself/himself.
I just got to know India is number one exporter of beef?
Is this happening without our bureaucrats knowledge?
“Equal rules for every citizen”
Remember to say this again when Muslims oppose UCC just because they find it conflicting with certain personal set of rules rooted in Sharia Law.
The statement made by Yogi certainly is excessive, but as someone who has personally witnessed the halal process of bloodletting the animal instead of a quick death, it is extremely inhumane and I do not condone it. The few muslim friends I do have, I have never seen them be picky about meat being halal or not, at least at times when we ate together. I’d rather advise muslims who care so much about their meat being halal or not to butcher their own meat, or turn vegetarian for all I care.
Halal money goes for zakat funding that funds terrorism for terrorising and converting the non-believers into Islam.
Yah sab logon Ko Gumrah karta hai please apna Kam mein Dhyan dijiye
A very thoughtful and valid opinion piece.
It provides a way for dealing with these issues as just civics issues, rather than as group competition.
That said, Ma’am Amana, I suggest that you do look into the whys and how’s of Halal extending to things beyond food and the messaging as also the size reach and business model of ” Halal Certification”. Without a deeper look into that, your piece comes out as one sided and victim play.
You may be surprised at the results of the suggested research.
What can you expect from a radical right wing terrorist organization like RSS and their members Yogi and Modi ??
Mr Yogi this is not important that what halal or haram leave this unnecessary don’t talk to Gumrah public talk about import export whoos no 1 in beef
Talk about development of education
Development of u r Uttar Pradesh talk about new technology leave this religious always u people talk about religious and ask for vote u r not married legally but others or have lots of responsibility don’t waste your time because today your intellectual position so u r talking against others u r seat is not permanent so kindly do the work which public will appreciate
What more can be expected begum sahiba
Amana Madam,
Stop this word play, Hindus “eat” satvic Jains don’t eat meat, then you’re telling “use” of Halal by Mohammedens. Well, a very good deflectingattempt. But may be you forgot to tell, why should a Hindu, Jain, Sikh or Baudh should be forced to pay for blanket certification of “Halal” products, and that too for the things we’ve never ever heard before being Halal or Not Halal. How do you justify match boxes, housing societies, medical equipments or medicines being Halal certified. If Mohammedens are suffering such level of “othering syndrome” please ask them to stop acting their fake Bhaichara and secularism.
This is nothing but a new found cunning strategy of Mohammeden organisations like “Jamiat” of extracting money from general populace to fund their tacit and insidious plan. As far as your question of terrorism is concerned, just go and see in how many terror cases fierce defence was arranged by Jamiat and other similar organisations, probably by the money extorted through Halal certification.