Will Look Into "Serious Objections" To Halal Meat: Karnataka Chief Minister

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the state government will look into 'halal' meat issue as "serious objections" have now been raised about it.

"The halal issue has just started. We have to study it. It's a practice that is going on. Now serious objections have been raised about it. I will look into it," Mr Bommai said in a press conference.

Asked about the call for boycott of halal meat by some organizations, Mr Bommai said, "As far as my government is concerned, we are not right-wing or left-wing, only growth wing."

Opposition leaders accused the BJP government of allowing such issues to come up in view of assembly polls next year.

Congress leader Priyank Kharge said BJP wants "to turn Karnataka into Uttar Pradesh".

"I think the BJP has lost the plot in Karnataka and they want to make this UP. They have no issues to take to people so they are bringing issues like Kashmir Files, ban on economic activities of minorities and now this question of halal meat. We are already reeling under economic distress and they are out to make Karnataka - a very progressive state into Uttar Pradesh. This is just an election tactic," he said.

Congress MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao referred to the hijab row and to "ban" on Muslim vendors at temple fairs and said real issues concerning people such as girls' education are being ignored.

"Halal meat or no halal meat, who cares? If people want to buy halal meat they will buy and if people don't want to buy halal meat, they won't buy it. There's no rule. This is somewhere a focused target. It is very, very bad for the country. I condemn the approach of the Bommai government," Mr Rao said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)