Agency(Begusarai): Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh, during a visit to his parliamentary constituency in Begusarai, expressed his views that Hindus should exclusively consume ‘jhatka’ meat, which involves the slaughtering of animals with a single strike of the blade. This, he suggested, would be in keeping with Hindu religious practices.
Addressing the public, Singh, a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), urged his supporters to pledge against eating halal meat, which he views as a violation of their ‘dharma’ (religious duty). He commended Muslims for their adherence to eating halal meat and called for Hindus to show similar commitment to their religious customs.
Singh emphasized that the Hindu method of animal sacrifice, known as ‘bali,’ traditionally involves a single, decisive cut, aligning with the jhatka practice. He proposed a new business model where abattoirs and shops would exclusively sell jhatka meat, suggesting a shift in meat consumption patterns in line with religious beliefs.
This statement follows Singh’s earlier initiative, where he wrote to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, suggesting a ban on the sale of halal-labelled food products. This proposal was inspired by similar actions in Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s administration.
In a separate matter, Singh also commented on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent response to a security breach in the Parliament. Criticizing Gandhi for his delayed reaction and for associating the incident with unemployment and price rise issues, Singh accused Gandhi of repeatedly showing sympathy towards groups with seditious tendencies, referencing past incidents at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus.
