Hindu, Sikh bodies write to PM on ‘halal’ meat in Air India

Hindu, Sikh bodies write to PM on ‘halal’ meat in Air India

BY India News Newsdesk
February 15, 2017
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JALANDHAR: Over six organisations of Indians, including those of Sikhs and Gujaratis, in Australia have sent a letter of protest against Air India addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union minister of civil aviation Ashok Gajapathi Raju, alleging that the national carrier was offering only ‘halal’ meat to its passengers.

Citing the menu of the national carrier, they have said that while the “moslem meal” mentioned that all non-vegetarian items were “halal” and did not contain pork. For the Hindu meal (non-veg), it mentioned that the food did not contain any pork or beef products, but it did not confirm that it was “halal” or not.

“How clever. It doesn’t confirm whether the non-veg Hindu meal has ‘non-halal’ meat. This confirms our doubt that it does contain ‘halal’ meat. The fact has been substantiated by persons who have travelled by Air India, claiming that even the air hostesses confirmed to them privately that ‘halal’ meat was being served in the Hindu non-veg meal”, the protest letter reads.

“We have already mailed the letter addressed to PM and Civil aviation minister to the high commissioner of India in Canberra and consul general of India in Sydney, requesting them to forward these to those concerned,” said Bawa Singh Jagdev, secretary of the National Sikh Council Of Australia, while speaking to TOI on phone from Australia. He said that a copy of it had also been sent to PSP Rao, senior manager, catering, Air India

However, Air India public relations officer GP Rao told TOI that they had been serving ‘halal’ meat only when requested by a passenger. Otherwise, the non-vegetarian food was normally ‘non-halal’.

Apart from National Sikh Council Australia, the other organizations which have jointly sent the ‘protest letter’ to PM include Hindu Council Of Australia, Punjabi Council Of Australia, Sri Guru Ravi Dass Sabha of Australia, United Indian Associations, Gujarati Samaj Of NSW, Global Organization of People of Indian Origin, Nepalese Australian Association among others.

Source: TimesOfIndia