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Ramdev supporters, CPM workers clash
Tribune News Service

Delhi police officers try to control followers of Swami Ramdev and CPM leader Brinda Karat outside the CPM office in New Delhi on Thursday. The followers were protesting against Karat's allegation that animal parts and human bones were used in ayurvedic preparations manufactured at Ramdev's institution. — Tribune photo by Mukesh Aggarwal

New Delhi, January 5
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s supporters shouted slogans against the allegations that his ayurvedic drugs contained animal and human bones and clashed with the police and CPM workers in the Capital today as they tried to storm the party headquarters resulting in a mild lathicharge and detention of 30 persons.

CPM Politburo member Brinda Karat earlier this week had accused him of using human and animal bones in his medicines, provoking a strong denial from Baba Ramdev and angry protests by his supporters.

A Large number of supporters of the yoga guru, who claims to cure illnesses through breathing exercises and traditional medicines, descended on the AKG Bhawan, headquarters of the CPM, shouting slogans against Ms Karat and trying to force their way in. The Police barred them from entering the building.

Both sides pelted each other with stones following which police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the mob.

“We have detained around 30 supporters of Baba Ramdev after they tried to forcefully get inside the office,” said Mr Manish Aggarwal, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police.

The CPM accused the VHP-RSS for attacking its party office and demanded that the Centre and Delhi Police “should ensure that such undemocratic attempts to attack the offices of political parties are prevented in future.”

“What the followers of Ramdev are doing is nothing but sheer violation of the law of the land. It needs to be condemned squarely. So-called godmen and gurus are not above law and not above disclosures about their business. The obvious instigators behind the attack must be caught,” the CPI Central Secretariat said in a statement here.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss confirmed yesterday that the lab tests proved that the medicines Ms Karat had purchased from Baba Ramdev’s Divya Yog Pharmacy violated licensing and labelling provisions of the Indian Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

The Central Government has referred the matter to the Drug Controller of Uttaranchal, as the samples had not been taken from the pharmacy by the government inspectors.

Baba Ramdev, best known for his programmes on several spiritual TV channels, has said he would welcome any inquiry into the contents of his ayurvedic medicines.

In a move to rope in the Uttaranchal Chief Minister, Mr N. D. Tiwari, in the issue, the CPM said his statement that the issues raised about the adulteration of medicines in a pharmacy in his state was a personal one between Baba Ramdev and Ms Brinda Karat and was extremely surprising and unfortunate.

The CPM statement said there were two issues involved in the matter. The first was the violation of labour laws in the pharmacy owned by Baba Ramdev. 110 workers had been illegally dismissed after they protested for not being paid the minimum wage and overtime. The second was the testing of the samples of two medicines from his pharmacy by the Health Ministry, which had confirmed the presence of animal matter whereas they were labelled as herbal medicines.

It said to divert attention from these issues, wild and also personalised allegations were being made. There was no question of any opposition to yoga, Ayurveda or any other indigenous medicines. However, these medicines were to be dispensed with utmost transparency according to official regulations and if there was any violation it must be checked and suitable measures taken against wrong doings. A proper investigation was called for.

“The N.D. Tiwari government should also immediately ensure reinstatement of the workers dismissed,” it said.

Cong leader defends Ramdev
Our Correspondent

Bhopal, January 5
A senior Congress leader of Madhya Pradesh has called the campaign against Baba Ramdev as a despicable attempt to denigrate Ayurveda — the ancient Indian science of healing.

Mr Harvansh Singh, MLA, who was Minister of Transport and Forest in the Digvijay Singh government, says in a statement that the allegations against Ramdev are “totally false and misleading”. He sees the hand of multinational corporations and allopathic drug manufacturing units behind the campaign against Ramdev.

Mr Singh said he had attended the camp organised by Baba Ramdev at Hardwar from October 18 to 25, last year and visited various sections of his Divya Pharmacy, where 250 types of Ayurvedic medicines are prepared. The medicines at Divya Pharmacy are prepared from pure herbs as he had himself seen, Mr Singh asserted.