Probe into Aavin’s halal certification post, demand retailers

VELLORE: Aavin retailers were incensed at a WhatsApp post doing rounds which blamed the DMK government for allowing milk major Aavin to sell halal certified cooking butter to the public, sources said.

The post called on Hindus to boycott all Aavin milk products as company had lost its secular credentials. Tamil Nadu milk agents and workers welfare association president SA Ponnusamy told DT Next: “I have informed Chief Minister MK Stalin, police DGP Sylendra Babu, Dairy Minister Nasar and other top officials demanding action against those responsible for the mischevious post which was unnecessarily trying to split the State’s population along religious lines.”

“A similar post made its appearance in 2020 and a look into dates reveales that such posts are always posted before a major festival. With Ayudha pooja and Deepavali around the corner this seems to be the work of Hindu fundamentalists,” he added.

Elaborating he said “Getting halal certification was a must for milk products as they are to be exported to 117 countries. When even Gujarat’s national brand AMUL and Ramdev’s Patanjali products have also received the certification for the same reason, we wonder why Aavin alone is being singled out as aligning with a religion.

Asked about this Aavin MD N Subbayan said “Halal certification was procured some years ago to ensure there would be no delays if and when we needed to export our products to countries requiring such certification.”

Asked if halal related cooking butter was sold in the local market, his answer was an emphatic no. “Selling halal certified products will push up prices as the cost of the certification which is high will be included in the price of the product.”

Association vice president VM Sankar of Vellore said: “There is no slump in sales due to the post as public know a good product when they see one and so our initial apprehensions were unfounded.”

Ponnyusamy said that police approached him on Sunday for details of the complaint he had sent to top officials and ministers.