Bihar

"Hindus Should Avoid Halal Meat, Eat Only Jhatka": BJP Minister Giriraj Singh Admires Muslims' Dedication To Religion

Nishtha Anushree

Dec 18, 2023, 03:10 PM | Updated 03:10 PM IST


Union Minister Giriraj Singh. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Union Minister Giriraj Singh. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

Giriraj Singh, the Union Rural Development Minister, has recommended that Hindus refrain from consuming halal meat. Instead, he suggests they should only eat 'jhatka', which is the meat from animals that have been killed with a single blade strike.

In his Begusarai parliamentary constituency, the senior leader of BJP implored his followers to commit to not tarnishing their 'dharma' by consuming halal meat, a plea he passionately made.

Giriraj Singh expressed his admiration for Muslims who strictly adhere to their religious tradition of consuming only halal meat. He suggested that Hindus should similarly uphold their own religious customs with equal dedication.

"The method of slaughter according to Hindu traditions is jhatka, which involves a single swift stroke during 'bali' or animal sacrifice," stated the minister. He further emphasised that Hindus should avoid consuming halal meat to maintain their religious purity, and should consistently adhere to jhatka.

The Union Minister emphasised the necessity for a novel business model, one that would exclusively feature abattoirs and stores selling jhatka meat.

Several weeks prior, Singh had penned a letter to Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, urging him to prohibit the sale of food items marked as "halal". He was inspired by the actions of the Yogi Adityanath administration in the neighboring state of Uttar Pradesh.

Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.


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