Union minister Giriraj Singh writes to Bihar CM, advocates ban on halal products
New Delhi (PTI): Union minister Giriraj Singh has written to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, saying halal business is "treason" in a secular democracy and advocating an Uttar Pradesh like ban on the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products with halal certification in the state.
In the letter to the Bihar CM, the BJP MP and Rural Development minister said, "Things which have no connection with Islam are being Islamised. Some institutions have become self-proclaimed in giving halal certificate and are giving halal certificate to companies manufacturing goods by paying huge sums of money".
There is a need to impose a ban against the kind of 'jihad' going on in the name of halal products even in a big state like Bihar, he said.
It has been learnt that halal trade of many food items and other essential items like edible oil, snacks, dry fruits, sweets, cosmetics, medicines and medical equipment is going on in Bihar, whereas for certification related to such items is only done by FSSAI, he said.
Singh said in a secular democracy like India, halal business is "not only against the Constitution but also treason".
"According to statistics, the size of business activities related to halal certification all over the world is about 2 trillion dollars and the link of this form of economy with terrorist activities is also coming to light, which needs to be thoroughly investigated," the minister.
He said the Uttar Pradesh government under Yogi Adityanath has "taken a strong step and banned the manufacturing, storage, distribution and sale of halal certified food products with immediate effect".
"As a citizen of the state of Bihar and Lok Sabha MP from Begusarai, I urge you to take similar strict steps and take strict action by thoroughly investigating its involvement in socially discriminatory and terrorist activities," he said.
"I request you to take strict action against such divisive and conspiratorial elements by imposing a ban against the kind of 'jihad' going on in the name of halal products even in a big state like Bihar," Singh added.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday banned the production, storage, distribution and sale of food products with halal certification with immediate effect while exempting products manufactured for export.
In a statement, the Uttar Pradesh government alleged "malicious attempts" to discourage the use of products lacking a halal certificate not only seek "unfair financial benefits" but also form part of a "pre-planned strategy to sow class hatred, create divisions in society, and weaken the country" by "anti-national elements".
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Air India resorts to cost-cutting ways amid 'tough times'; layoffs not anticipated
New Delhi/Mumbai (PTI): Hit hard by Pakistan airspace closure and Iran war, Air India has resorted to cost-cutting measures, including holding back annual increments for staff and asking them to cut discretionary spending as well as non-critical expenditures, warning of "tough times".
On Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director (CEO & MD) Campbell Wilson told the staff it is going to be a "very, very difficult year" if things don't improve on the Middle East front.
A day after the loss-making airline's board discussed various cost-saving steps, Wilson, along with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sanjay Sharma and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Ravindra Kumar GP, addressed the employees during a townhall on Friday where the emphasis on the need to keep a close watch on costs.
With higher jet fuel prices due to the West Asia conflict and airspace curbs, the loss-making airline's expenses have spiralled in recent times and against this backdrop, Sharma also told staffers that FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Calling for a relentless focus on costs in these tough times, Wilson urged employees to suspend discretionary spending, renegotiate rates where feasible, and defer non-critical expenditures.
"There must be a laser-sharp focus on eliminating wastage and leakages," he said.
Stressing the need to tighten the belt for a while, Wilson sounded optimistic that travel demand would rebound and the industry would continue on its upward path.
CHRO Ravindra Kumar told staff that the airline will proceed with variable pay for the last financial year and continue with planned promotions while noting that annual increments will be deferred by at least one quarter.
"We don't anticipate layoffs," he said.
At the airline's board meeting on Thursday, various cost-saving steps, including likely furloughs, were discussed. The Tata Group-owned airline has around 24,000 employees.
Generally, furlough refers to sending staff on unpaid leaves by companies during a tough financial situation.
During the townhall, CFO Sanjay Sharma said while strong revenue growth and fleet expansion drove financial momentum through FY25, FY26 has seen a softening in revenue amid heightened external uncertainties.
Air India has seen around 40 per cent CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate) in revenue between 2022 and 2025, he added.
The airline was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in January 2022.
The Air India CEO mentioned the external challenges being facing the aviation industry as a whole, including the continued closure of Pakistan airspace that is expected to persist for the foreseeable future and geopolitical conflicts leading to disruptions and airspace closures across West Asia.
Wilson, who is set to step down later this year, also flagged a sharp depreciation of the rupee and a 2.5-3 times increase in jet fuel prices, and added that these factors have adversely affected travel sentiment and consumer confidence, as per the sources.
If the Strait of Hormuz opens, oil prices fall and consumer as well as business confidence come back, there is a decent chance of a solid recovery, Wilson said, adding that unless those circumstances happen, it was going to be "a very, very difficult year".
"I feel somewhat responsible that we ended up with probably the biggest surprise of the year in the external environment which was a full-scale war in our neighbouring region in the Gulf. That has had a huge impact on airspace," he said.
For Air India, Wilson said the situation is compounded by the fact that the airline cannot fly over the neighbouring country and has to take a much longer routing for any west-bound destination.
"Every airline is reporting that they are under some sort of financial pressure as a result of higher fuel prices and economic uncertainty. So, it is unfortunately not a great environment to be running an airline," the Air India CEO said.
The Air India Group -- Air India and Air India Express -- is projected to have incurred more than Rs 22,000 crore loss in the financial year ended March 2026.
At the townhall, Wilson also highlighted various initiatives, including completion of the retrofit of its legacy narrow-body aircraft and rapid network optimisation to redeploy capacity more efficiently.
