Supreme Court on Monday extended interim protection from coercive action to Halal India and Jamiat Ulama-e-Maharashtra office bearers while hearing a clutch of petitions challenging a ban imposed by the Uttar Pradesh government on the "manufacture, sale, storage, and distribution of halal-certified products."
In January, the top court had granted interim protection to Mahmood Madani, president of the Mahmood faction of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, and other office-bearers of the Halal Trust from any coercive actions as the state government banned the manufacture, sale, storage and distribution of Halal-certified products.
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Earlier, the top court had also issued notice to the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government on a plea seeking the quashing of the November 18 notification which barred manufacture, sale, storage and distribution of halal-certified products.
Jamiat Ulama-E-Maharashtra and Halal India Pvt. Ltd. moved the top court against the November 18 notification by the Uttar Pradesh's Food Safety and Drug Administration and FIRs lodged against them.
The organisations have challenged the notification as arbitrary, saying that it is based on unreasonable classification as it excludes other certifications like Jain, Satvik and kosher. The petitioners have said that the state government arbitrarily singled out one certification on the basis of religion which is impermissible.
The petitioners prayed the top court to examine whether such a notification could be issued. They have also contended whether they could be prosecuted for providing such a certification.
An FIR was filed against the petitioners and several others in Hazratganj police station in Lucknow for allegedly extorting money in the name of halal certification, promoting enmity in the name of religion and providing funds to anti-national and terror organisations.