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Yogi cleared of animal parts row

BBC, UK
Mar. 8, 2006
news.bbc.co.uk

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Thursday March 9, 2006

A leading Indian yoga guru has been cleared of mixing human bones and animal parts in his medicines.

Uttaranchal state Health Minister Tilak Raj Behad told the BBC Swami Ramdev‘s medicines contained no objectionable ingredients and were purely herbal.

He said four samples of medicines were sent to Shriram Institute of Industrial Research in Delhi, which is recognised by the Indian government.

Swami Ramdev had described the allegations as a conspiracy.

Bone powder

The institute submitted its report last week after testing the samples.

The state government had set up an enquiry into the charges made against Swami Ramdev by Vrinda Karat, a leader of the Communist Party of India.

The BBC’s Shalini Joshi in Dehradun, the Uttaranchal state capital, says Swami Ramdev’s popular yoga classes are watched in hundreds of thousands of Indian homes every day.

Ms Karat alleged that ayurvedic medicines from his Haridwar-based pharmacy contained human bone powder and animal parts.

She also alleged that ND Tewary, the chief minister of Uttaranchal, was protecting Swami Ramdev.

Ramdev Divya Yog pharmacy at Kankhal in Haridwar manufactures more than 160 types of medicines including syrups, tablets, powders and metallic preparation.

Rejecting all the charges, Swami Ramdev had said it was an attempt to frame him because multi-national companies were losing business.

Acharya Balkrishna, the chief vaidya at Divya Yog Pharmacy, welcomed the decision and said the pharmacy was open to all sorts of testing and inquiry.

Swami Ramdev is due to hold a 12-day yoga camp in Dehradun from 10 March.