Nationwide protests against Halal Certification on 28 and 29 September

• Halal Niyantran Manch announces protests in State Capitals

• Harinder Sikka and retired Justice Pawan Kumar highlight concerns over economic, religious and employment-related implications of Halal certification 

New Delhi – Large-scale protests against the Halal certification system will be held in the capitals of all States across the country on 28 and 29 September 2026, announced the Halal Niyantran Manch at a press conference held in New Delhi. 

Addressing the press conference, Harinder Sikka, renowned industrialist, social worker and spokesperson of the Halal Niyantran Manch, and retired Justice Pawan Kumar stated that the Halal certification system has expanded far beyond meat and has serious implications for employment, consumers, religious freedom and the Indian economy. They announced that a large number of young people would participate in the demonstrations. 

The Halal Niyantran Manch, led by @sikka_harinder and retired Justice Pawan Kumar, is organising nationwide protests against Halal certification on 28 & 29 September.

HJS has consistently highlighted how Halal imposition is creating a parallel economy that threatens the Indian… pic.twitter.com/PTJERqA5yu

— HinduJagrutiOrg (@HinduJagrutiOrg) September 28, 2026

Halal certification a conspiracy to deprive Hindus and Sikhs of employment

Harinder Sikka stated that Halal certification is a conspiracy to deprive Hindus and Sikhs engaged in the animal-slaughter business of their employment and an attempt to gain jihadi control over the Indian economy. He said that this system also amounts to imposing Sharia on the country through the back door and encourages and supports anti-national elements.  

Sikka stated that Halal certification was earlier limited to animal meat. In collusion with Congress governments, certain Maulanas had secured an order through APEDA stipulating that meat could not be exported without Halal certification. 

Also, the cleric issuing the Halal certificate would issue it only when the animal was slaughtered by a Muslim. As a result, a large section of the Scheduled Caste and Sikh communities engaged in this profession suddenly lost their livelihood.

The practice did not stop there. Railways, airlines, hotels and other establishments subsequently began purchasing only Halal meat. Since Halal meat is considered sinful in Sikhism, forcing Hindus and Sikhs across the country to consume it amounted to an attack on their religious beliefs, he said. 

Sikka welcomed the present Government’s decision to withdraw the APEDA order, describing the move as the outcome of their initiative.

Referring to the seriousness of the issue, Sikka further stated that if anyone opens a shop selling Jhatka meat, deadly attacks are carried out against them. 

88% consumers of Halal products are non-Muslims

Retired Justice Pawan Kumar stated that the Halal certification issue is no longer restricted to meat. He said that clerics had encouraged Muslims to purchase everyday products, including medicines, cosmetics, food and beverages, buildings, and other goods and services only when they were Halal-certified.

He stated that Congress governments became part of what he described as an anti-Hindu and anti-national conspiracy. He said that the government had issued an unconstitutional order permitting four Islamic organisations, including Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, to issue Halal certificates and that these organisations charge exorbitant fees for doing so.

Justice Pawan Kumar further stated that Muslims account for only 12% of the purchases of such products, while 88% of consumers are non-Muslims. A substantial portion of the money earned through certification fees from their hard-earned income goes to these organisations, which then use these funds for activities such as religious conversion, love jihad and assistance to terrorists.

Halal Niyantran Manch’s nationwide awareness and organisational campaign

The organisers announced that they have taken the following decisions:

• Halal Niyantran Manch units will be established in all States by the end of this year, with members from different sections of society.
• Delegations will meet Union Ministers, State Chief Ministers and heads of local self-government institutions and request them to take meaningful steps towards controlling the Halal certification system.
• Seminars and public meetings will be organised to create awareness about what the organisers describe as the Halal conspiracy.
• The Manch will approach the leadership of the Sikh community and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and create awareness about attacks on religious beliefs and the loss of employment. 

HJS at the forefront of the movement against Halal imposition

The growing public mobilisation around the issue of Halal certification comes after years of awareness-building by organisations that have consistently raised the subject in the public domain. The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) has been at the forefront of this campaign and has spearheaded the movement against Halal imposition since 2019. HJS was also the first to compile and publish a book titled ‘Halal Jihad? – Attack on the Indian Economy’, based on comprehensive research and statistics on the subject. 

Over the years, HJS has conducted awareness campaigns, public lectures, discussions with businessmen and legal experts, meetings and delegations, and has called for action against the religion-based Halal certification system. Its sustained efforts have helped bring the issue before traders, entrepreneurs, consumers and the wider public.

The growing participation of citizens and the decision to organise protests across State capitals indicate that the issue is receiving attention from a broader section of society. HJS appreciates the initiative of  raising public awareness regarding the Halal certification system and its impact on employment, consumer choice, religious freedom and the Indian economy.