Prior to Diwali, the Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti in Karnataka has resumed their campaign against halal meat. The right-wing organisation is urging Hindus to boycott goods and businesses like McDonald's and Pizza Hut that use halal meat (meat processed in accordance with Islamic law). On October 18, they staged protests in front of restaurants run by international food chains in Bengaluru's Basaveshwaranagar neighbourhood.

Halal foods should not be served to Hindus, according to Mohan Gowda, the Samiti's spokesperson for Karnataka. "Halal food has only been prescribed for Muslims, while for us it is the jhatkaa method. So why should we be forced to eat in a way mandated only for Muslims? Therefore, a memorandum has been sent to the KFC and McDonald's managements, asking them to create a separate menu for non-halal items instead of serving halal food to Hindus. We are giving these businesses a week’s time to start serving non-halal food to Hindus," he said.

The memorandum submitted by the Samiti claims that in addition to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and other recognised food certifications, restaurants are being forced to carry halal certification. It further claims that for every certification, Muslim organisations demand Rs 50,000 to 60,000 and that such certifications are illegal.

For a year, right-wing organisations have pushed for a ban on halal goods and have received a lukewarm response from the Hindu community. This year, the Samiti members have created pamphlets to hand out to Hindus in order to “warn Hindus of consuming halal food.” Ramesh Shindhe, the national spokesman for the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, published a book titled "Halal Jihad" on October 15 in Hubballi. Right-wing organisations have urged Hindus to celebrate a 'Halal Mukt Diwali.'  Organisations like Bajrang Dal, Janajagruti Vedike, and Sri Ram Sene have also organised protests as part of this campaign in states like Maharashtra and Goa.