Nagpur South MLA Mohan G. Mate launched a blistering attack in the Assembly on Tuesday, alleging that an unchecked “Halal mafia” has created a full-blown parallel economy in Maharashtra. Citing figures from his intervention, Mate said more than 400 organisations had issued nearly 3,200 Halal certificates — many, he charged, without legality, transparency or any state oversight. He demanded an urgent crackdown and insisted that all certification powers be seized from private bodies and handed to the State Food & Drug Department.
Mate warned that the Halal label is being weaponised to form closed, captive supply chains and extract money from traders, allowing private certifiers to operate like unregulated economic cartels. He also sought probes into land deals and alleged encroachment attempts linked to religious trusts involved in certification, calling it a “system designed to dodge scrutiny and dominate markets.”
His attack comes amid a statewide storm over religion-based labeling, with activists and experts repeatedly flagging the Halal certification business as controversial and legally disputed. Citing Uttar Pradesh’s ban on illegal Halal certificates, Mate said Maharashtra must act “now, not after damage is done.”
The debate intensified after the State rejected a proposed “Halal township” near Karjat. The government has asked the Health and Food & Drug Department for an urgent report on existing certifiers and legal options to bring the entire certification system under statutory control.
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