NOTWITHSTANDING THE accusations and counter accusations being leveled by CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat and Baba Ramdev, authorities in Uttaranchal have indicated that an ongoing labour dispute in his pharmacy in Hardwar may well be the point of discord between the Left MP and the yoga guru.
Though Uttaranchal officials refuse to go on record regarding the ongoing labour dispute, they refer to the workers’ dharna that had been going on at the district magistrate’s office for the last few months.
Local authorities’ intervention had failed to yield any result, said officials.
Senior officers of the Labour Department, however, remained unavailable for comments.
“No malpractices have so far been reported from Baba Ramdev’s pharmacy,” said officials of Uttaranchal Health Department. They added the Uttaranchal Government had already given a clean chit to the yoga guru in July last following an inquiry made against Divya Yoga Pharmacy for allegedly using human skull in ayurvedic medicines.
Drug controller (Ayurvedic Medicines), Uttaranchal, Dr RK Sharma also said regular inspections were being conducted at Baba Ramdev’s manufacturing unit and no irregularities had ever come to light.
“We conduct inspections regularly,” Sharma said. He added that the manufacturing process being followed there conformed to prescribed standards.
{{/usCountry}}“We conduct inspections regularly,” Sharma said. He added that the manufacturing process being followed there conformed to prescribed standards.
{{/usCountry}}“No complaints have been received against him from any quarters,” he said and added, “An inquiry conducted against the pharmacy did not give any negative finding”.
Replying to a question, Uttaranchal secretary (Health) S Raju also said an inquiry conducted in July 2005 into allegations of use of human skull in the medicines had found nothing to substantiate the charge.
On the other hand those associated with ayurvedic system of medicine felt that such allegations only brought the age-old system of medicine into controversy.
There was no justification to bring the traditional system of medicine into controversy, said a senior ayurvedic medical practitioner based in Dehradun. A conspiracy behind such moves could not be ruled out, he said.