KOCHI: A bakery owner was forced to remove the 'halal' food sticker after a few Hindu Aikya Vedi activists protested at Kurumasserry in Parakkadavu panchayat near Nedumbassery. With the issue going viral on social media, Changamanadu police registered a case against four Hindu Aikya Vedi activists.
In the letter issued to the bakery, the Parakkadavu Samithi of the Hindu Aikya Vedi said the ‘halal’ sticker amounted to discrimination against food based on religion and displaying such a notice was a crime.
The letter, which was signed by Parakkadavu unit president Arun Aravind and secretary Dhanesh Prabhakran, directed the owner of the bakery to remove the sticker within seven days of the receipt of the notice failing which the Hindu Aikya Vedi will be forced to boycott the shop and launch protests.
Police said the incident occured when Aravind and a few others visited the shop earlier this week. "We have registered a case," a police officer said adding the bakery used to serve two chicken-based snacks Al-fam and Shawarma and it was a normal practice for shops selling meat-based dishes to display a ‘halal’ sticker.
"We haven't given any call to target shops selling halal products. But in our view halal certification is discriminatory as it gives the message that we won't consume food prepared by members of other communities. We will be launching a campaign to create public awareness and demanding a ban on halal certification," said Hindu Aikya Vedi general secretary R V Babu.