Headlines
Uproar in Rajya Sabha over Ramdev's infertility medicine
New Delhi, April 30
The Rajya Sabha witnessed
an uproar on Thursday when members raised yoga guru Baba Ramdev's
infertility medicine 'Divya Putrajeevak Seed'.
A statement from
Ramdev's aide S.K. Tijarawala, however, said "'Putrajivak' is classical
name and deals with infertility issue not gender selection".
The issue was raised soon after the house met by Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader K.C. Tyagi, who demanded a probe.
Tyagi
showed a product of 'Divya Pharmacy' from Haryana and said: "PM gave a
call for 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao', I have bought this I have a receipt.
No one can say it is old."
Divya Pharmacies sells Ramdev's medicines. Tyagi did not name Ramdev but said: "He is the brand ambassador of a state."
"Does
government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi approve all
these things?," he asked. Amid protests from treasury benches, Samajwadi
Party member Jaya Bachchan took the packet and gave it to Health
Minister J.P. Nadda, who was present in the house.
"We need not
fight over this... If there is an attempt...with regard to selection of
sex through a medicine, or pre-natal sex determination, they are all
against the law. If this is being encouraged by any state government, it
is against the constitution. But chair cannot do anything," Deputy
Chairman P.J. Kurien said.
Minister of State for Parliamentary
Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said: "This is not an issue to argue on. We
will tell minister to probe it whether it is in accordance with law."
Nadda
also intervened and said: "This is related to department of Ayush.
Government is serious about the matter. We will look into it and action
will be taken."
Jaya Bachchan said the government should assure
it will take out the product from market and take action against those
who make the medicine.
Nadda again said the prime minister is personally monitoring the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' scheme.
Leader
of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said that many spurious medicines are
being sold and the health minister should inquire into it.
The
website of Divya Pharmacy prices the product at $10.99 and the
description says it is a "unique herbal product of putrajeevak which is
aphrodisiac, controls habitual abortion and helps in sterility".