Ramdev medicine row: Congress questions BJP's hypocrisy

The Congress Party on Friday criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its 'hypocrisy' in making yoga guru Baba Ramdev Haryana's brand ambassador and at the same time letting him sell 'son guaranteeing medicines'.

Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi ironically pointed out that the NDA regime's 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' initiative in Haryana was being contradicted by its own brand ambassador.

"We need to understand that Baba Ramdev is the brand ambassador of Haryana, which is also the starting point for the Prime Minister's

'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'campaign. So, this goes on to show the entire hypocrisy of the government, that while you hail a person as a brand ambassador of a particular state, that same person is involved in promoting the boy child as compared to a girl child," said Chaturvedi.

"So, it is extremely unfortunate, and the government needs to come clean as far as their stand is concerned on this particular case," she added.

Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said, "The issue of Baba Ramdev's medicine was taken up in parliament, and the government has assured that it would take action. Sex determination is not legal in our country and with the sex ratio going so low, Ramdev should not be selling such medicines," he added.

Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan said,"I completely agree with Tyagiji (K.C. Tyagi of the Janata Dal-United) on the issue that he raised. The license of this company should be cancelled. Immediate action should be taken to ensure that all medicines are removed from the market."

On Thursday, the opposition trooped into the Well of the Rajya Sabha during Zero Hour to protest over Baba Ramdev's alleged concoction.

The opposition called the medicine 'illegal' and 'unconstitutional'.

The Patanjali Yogapeeth and the Divya Yog Mandir had earlier said in a statement that the medicine had nothing to do with sex determination.