On March 31, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said the government has a limited role to play on the issue pertaining to ‘halal’, which is left to the wisdom of people.
Jnanendra said the ‘Boycott halal food’ campaign is not a law and order situation but something related to faith and sentiments, “which everyone knows.”
Recently some right-wing groups gave a call to boycott ‘halal meat’, ahead of ‘varshadodaku’, the day after Ugadi when many communities in the state have a non-vegetarian feast. Ugadi, which is the Hindu New Year festival, was observed on April 2.
This call comes close on the heels of ban on Muslim vendors around temples during the Hindu religious fairs in parts of Karnataka.
Udupi recently witnessed the hijab row first flaring up with a few Muslim students of the Government Girls Pre-University College alleging that they were denied entry to the college with the headscarf.
The Muslim students later approached the Karnataka High Court against the ban on Islamic headscarves inside classrooms. The court dismissed their petition saying that they have to abide by the school uniform rule.