New Delhi: Nepal's Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicines halted the distribution of 'Coronil kits' donated by the Patanjali group of Indian yoga guru and businessman Ramdev.
The order from Kathmandu stated that proper procedures were not followed when obtaining the 1,500 Coronil kits that Patanjali claims are useful in dealing with COVID-19 infection. The issue has gotten a lot of attention because it is being interpreted as an attempt to separate leading Madhesi political families from the Indian group.
According to the most recent order issued by the Government of Nepal, the tablets and nasal oil included in the Coronil kit are not equivalent to medicines for combating the COVID-19 virus. While pointing out flaws in the kits, Nepalese officials cited recent statements by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Coronil, which challenged Mr. Ramdev to prove the efficacy of his products in dealing with the COVID19.
Nepal is the second country, following Bhutan, to discontinue the distribution of Coronil kits. Bhutan's Drug Regulatory Authority has already prohibited the sale of Coronil in the country.
However, Nepal, on the other hand, remains close to the Patanjali group because the organisation has a large production facility and distribution networks in Nepal. It is unclear whether the distribution ban will be limited to the specific consignment or will be extended to cover Coronil kits across the country.
The order issued on Monday also sparked debate within the Nepalese government, as the Coronil kits were delivered during the tenures of previous health minister Hridyesh Tripathi and the minister in charge of women and child development, Juli Mahato. Soon after, Ms. Mahato and her husband Raghuvir Mahaseth tested positive, bringing attention to their Patanjali group support.
Following the cabinet reshuffle last week, Mr Mahaseth was appointed as one of three Deputy Prime Ministers, and he is also in charge of the Foreign Ministry. Sher Bahadur Tamang has been appointed as the new Minister of Health. The Mahatos and Mahaseths are prominent Madhesi families in Nepal, and Mr. Ramdev's business operations in Nepal are mostly concentrated in the Madhes region, also known as the Terai plains.
The most recent development emphasises the link between the Indian group and Nepal's current political leaders, particularly the resurgent Madhesis.
Patanjali established a manufacturing facility near Birgunj in 2016 in collaboration with Mr. Upendra Mahato. President Bidhya Devi Bhandari dedicated the facility. Aside from Madhesi leaders, the Patanjali group is known to have good relations with leaders such as Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda," among others.
Opponents of the Oli government have accused Mr. Oli and his chosen Madhesi leaders from the Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) of benefiting from India's political support, including former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Mr. Prachanda. Mr. Oli's government's health department has been chastised for its handling of the pandemic in Nepal, which has been hard hit by the second wave in recent months.