NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday said conflicting reports had been sent by two different laboratories on presence of human remains in the Ayurvedic preparations of Divya Yog Pharmacy run by yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

While the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad, said the samples did not contain anything of human origin, the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in the same city said the DNA is of human origin.

The Drug Controller of Uttaranchal has been asked to make further enquiries, he said.

Samples of the products were sent to the Ministry by Rajya Sabha member Brinda Karat, alleging that they contained animal matter and human remains.

Dr. Ramadoss said his Ministry took cognisance of Ms. Karat's complaint on an issue that essentially falls within the State Government's domain because she was a Member of Parliament.

The samples were sent to the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha and it sent them to the National Centre for Compositional Characterisation Materials at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, CDFD, CCMB, Department of Veterinary Pathology at the Chennai Veterinary College, and the West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences.

He said the issue primarily pertained to labelling. The Drugs and Cosmetics Act mandates that the ingredients used in preparing any medicine be listed on the label.

Violation of this clause could result in the Government withdrawing the licence to manufacture the drug. "There is a provision for arresting those responsible."

In July last year, Ms. Karat sent medicines acquired from a pharmacy in Uttaranchal to the Health Ministry with the request that they be tested for animal matter and powder made from human skulls.

On December 29, she received a letter from the Ministry confirming the presence of animal matter and powder of human skulls in the samples.

"Blatant violation"

Ms. Karat disclosed the matter to the media on Tuesday at a press conference. She demanded that the Uttaranchal Government take legal action against Baba Ramdev "for his blatant violation of the labelling procedure of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act."

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