In news that may well make you gag, an Uttar Pradesh based factory has been using donkey dung, acid and hay along with counterfeit spices to create products for local brands. The police in UP's Hathras raided the factory on Monday night, arresting factory owner Anoop Varshney and sending several samples of the adulterated products for testing.
According to a Times of India report, Varshney is the ‘Mandal Sah Prabhari’ of the Hindu Yuva Vahini. The report quotes officials to add that over 300 kg of fake spices had been seized in the late night raid. The problematic ingredients include donkey dung, hay and inedible colours. Officials had also found drums full of acid. The final list of products includes coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric and garam masala.
For the uninitiated, the Hindu Yuva Vahini is a Hindu Nationalist youth organistaion that was founded in April 2002 by present Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Over the years, the organisation has found itself mired in controversy over its alleged involvement in communal violence. According to it's website, it is a "fierce cultural and social organisation dedicated to Hindutva and nationalism".
