KOCHI: A leader of the Hindu Aikya Vedi, a Hindu organisation, has been arrested for allegedly calling for a boycott of a bakery selling halal food, police said on Friday. The general secretary of the outfit RV Babu was arrested and released on bail on the condition that he appears before the court on February 8.
"A case was registered on January 29 but since he had not appeared despite notice, we arrested him. He has been released on bail on condition that he will appear before the court on February 8. Babu had through social media too urged the people to boycott the halal certification," they said.
Earlier last month, a group of Hindu Aikya Vedi activists had allegedly threatened a bakery owner in Ernakulam district for an advertisement saying that halal food was available there. BJP state president K Surendran alleged that the police registered the case to appease Islamic fundamentalists. "Has Kerala turned into an Islamic country to ban any opinion on halal food? This is against the freedom of expression," he said.