Ramdev labour law and medicine mislabelling controversy
Ramdev is yoga guru in India. A manufacturing unit owned by his yoga trust was accused of violating labour law and medicine mislabelling. The controversy lasted from mid-2005 to March 2006, when the state government of Uttaranchal dropped charges against Ramdev. History In April 2005, Divya Yog Pharmacy manufacturing plant in Haridwar, own by Ramdev, dismissed 115 workers. The workers had been protesting demanding better wages and insurance. Centre of Indian Trade Unions, a trade union associated with the CPI(M), got involved in it on behalf of the workers. On 21 May 2005, a tripartite agreement was signed between the workers, the plant and the district administration. However, the plant did not honour the agreement and implicated several workers in exaggerated police cases. Also in May 2005, Brinda Karat, a CPI(M) leader, visited the site to show solidarity with the workers. She was informed by the agitating workers that human skull and animal parts were allegedly being used by the pharmacy. Karat demanded an investigation. They denied the allegations and said that only sea shells and herbs were used in the preparations. On 22 May 2005, workers began protesting outside the house of district magistrate R.K. Sudhanshu, who had the