McDonald’s should sell food items made from ‘jhatka’ meat too : Hindu Janajagruti Samiti

Editorial Comments

• McDonald’s is disrespecting the religious sentiments of Hindus and Sikhs by serving only halal meat !
• Why doesn’t the Government act against Muslim foreign food establishments which hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and Sikhs ?

New Delhi – USA-based McDonald’s claims that it sells 100% halal certified food. By doing so, they are creating a situation where Hindus and Sikhs are forced to eat halal meat. It is also creating an atmosphere of discrimination against the constitutional religious rights of Hindus and Sikhs.

Thank you for taking the time to contact McDonald’s India. We truly appreciate this opportunity to respond to your comments. The meat that we use, across our restaurants, is of the highest quality and is sourced from government-approved suppliers who are HACCP certified. (1/2)

— McDonald’s India (@mcdonaldsindia) July 31, 2019

In this context, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti gave a memorandum to McDonald’s demanding that the establishment sell items made of ‘jhatka’ meat too. The memorandum was given to Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. (Delhi) the company which operates McDonald’s in North and North-East India.

The memorandum states :

1. Hindus constitute the majority in India. Religiously, only Muslims need halal meat, which means that it does not apply to people who follow other religions in India. India is a multicultural and multi-religious country. Each religion has its own beliefs. They are being forced to go against their religious beliefs and eat halal food at McDonald’s.

2. To respect the religious sentiments of Muslims, you can give them ‘halal’ food; but you are disrespecting the religious sentiments of Hindus and Sikhs by not giving them the option of ‘jhatka’ food. This contravenes the religious freedom enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The Hindu and Sikh communities in India constitute 87% of the total population and they are also your major customers.

3. Obtaining a ‘halal certificate’ from an NGO Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Hind amounts to promoting anti-national elements. Therefore, this memorandum is being submitted to you keeping national interests as well as religious harmony in mind.

You should not obtain ‘halal certificates’ from an NGO, you should not make halal-certified food mandatory for Hindus and Sikhs. In addition, you should plan to make ‘jhatka’ food available in all your establishments.