With some right-wing groups giving a call to boycott halal meat ahead of Ugadi festival, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said the State Government will look into "serious objections" raised over halal meat.
In reply to questions related to halal and law and order at a press conference here, Mr. Bommai said as far as his Government is concerned there are “only wings of growth”, and “there is no right-wing or left-wing” and their central idea is peace, development and security for the common man.
“It (halal issue) has started just now. We have to study in entirety, because it has nothing to do with any rules. It is a practice which was going on. Now, serious objections have been raised regarding it. We will look into that,” the Chief Minister said in response to a question on the Government’s stand on halal issue.
The Chief Minister further clarified, “We will make our stand known later. Various organisations will be doing their own campaigns, we know what to respond to and what not to. Where it is required, we will respond.”
Some right-wing groups have given a call to boycott halal meat, ahead of ‘varshadodaku’, the day after Ugadi when many communities in the State have a non-vegetarian feast. BJP national general secretary C.T. Ravi on Tuesday called halal food “economic jihad”.
Asked about such issues disturbing the cordial atmosphere in the State, the Chief Minister said, “Despite such things, we have seen that the law and order and the cordial atmosphere in the State is not disturbed. We will take care of it in the future as well.”
Regarding nearly 61 progressive thinkers writing to him with an appeal to check religious hatred in the State, Mr. Bommai said, “I will study the content and issues they have raised, and look into the factual position on the ground."
