Maharashtra’s Fisheries and Port Development Minister, Nitish Rane, has introduced the 'Malhar Certification', a new initiative aimed at distinguishing mutton shops operated exclusively by the Hindu community. This certification, according to Rane, ensures that consumers can identify "rightful" vendors while guaranteeing unadulterated meat.

Announcing the launch on X (formerly Twitter), Rane emphasized the certification’s role in empowering Hindu youth financially and urged people to purchase only from Malhar-certified shops. He asserted that these shops would be 100% Hindu-owned and operated, ensuring meat purity while eliminating any ritualistic slaughter methods.

The Malhar Certification seeks to unify Hindu butchers under a single platform and promote non-Halal meat options for Hindus and Sikhs. As per its official website, Malhar-certified meat is fresh, uncontaminated, and exclusively sold by Hindu Khatik vendors.

The move aligns with the growing preference for Jhatka meat, which proponents argue is a more ethical method of slaughter, as it causes instant death, minimizing the animal's suffering.

The demand for non-Halal products has been on the rise, with Air India already making the switch to non-Halal meals for Hindu and Sikh passengers in November last year.