India, May 28 -- A fresh political controversy has erupted after it emerged that the Kolhapur District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union, popularly known as Gokul, obtained Halal certification for some of its dairy products to cater to demand for exports to the Gulf and other Muslim-majority countries.

While Gokul clarified that it obtained Halal certification in 2018 purely for export purposes, the issue surfaced ahead of the crucial Gokul Milk Union elections, triggering debate within the cooperative sector and among right-wing organisations whether a dairy cooperative needed Halal certification for its products such as ghee, butter and milk powder. The row only intensified after a Halal certificate issued in March 2022 went viral on s...