Kozhikode supermarket staffers attacked over Halal Beef; Youth Congress blames RSS

In Kerala's Kozhikode, two men allegedly assaulted three supermarket staffers on Sunday after demanding beef packets without a Halal sticker on them. The incident took place in Badusha Supermarket in the Perambra area of Kerala's Kozhikode on Sunday evening where the employees of the supermarket were allegedly thrashed by two men in a drunken state.

According to the police officials, two people who came as customers at the Badusha Supermarket on a Sunday evening had a verbal spat with the staffers over non-Halal beef. Police informed that the two attackers were enraged about the non-availability of non-Halal beef, following which they attacked staffers and injured them.

The injured have been taken to the nearby hospital for treatment. The police officials further said that the staffers sustained minor injuries. Police have arrested one accused named Prasoon who is a native of Meppayur, while the other is still on the run. 

Youth Congress accuses RSS over the incident

Several organizations like Youth Congress, Vyapari Vyavasayi Samithi, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Muslim Youth League, and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) organized protests against the attack on the employees of Badusha supermarket on Halal issue. They condemned the attack and accused RSS for the attack.

However, in its ongoing investigation of the incident, police stated that no organisational link was proved to the assault of the staffers, adding further that the two people who caused the altercation were in a drunken state.

Halal certified jaggery row in Sabarimala temple

Last year, a petition was filed in the Kerala High Court stating that Halal-certified jaggery was being used for the preparation of 'Aravana' and 'appam' for distribution and for the main offerings to Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala temple, following which the HC asked the Special Commissioner of Sabrimala to submit a report on the same.

SJR Kumar, the general convener of Sabarimala Karma Samithi and the petitioner, had alleged that Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which looks after the temple affairs, was using halal-certified jaggery to make prasadam at Sabarimala. He said that 'Halal' items should not be used at the temple as it was not pure material. However, later the HC questioned the understanding of the petitioner on Halal and asked them to go deep into its concept. 

On the question of spoiled jaggery being used at sanctum sanctorum. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), Sabarimala Special Commissioner and State Food and Safety Department had earlier clarified that unused jaggery from 2019-20 was auctioned to a firm for cattle feed.