Mumbai: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev Wednesday said that the government should punish the offence of food adulteration with at least life imp-risonment. Presently, the punishment for adulteration in the state is just six months’ imprisonment. Ramdev was replying to a query about adulteration in food and medicine.

The state government will be celebrating World Yoga Day on June 21 at Nanded where Ramdev and chief minister Deven-dra Fadnavis will do yoga. Education minister Ashi-sh Shelar said that the government was organising yoga camps in 322 talukas and 36 districts.

Ramdev said that yoga could not be politicised and that it would work as medicine for world health, peace, harmony and unity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the country’s first PM to do yoga in the public domain. He appea-led all parties including to do yoga as it would boost confidence.

“Yoga is scientific, spiritual and a universal lifest-yle. It is very easy. The wh-ole world does yoga, which has given prestige to India across the globe,” he said.

To a question on food adulteration, Ramdev, whose Patanjali group has a big presence in packaged food segment, said regulatory bodies should be more alert and transparent. He also called for laws such as those in China, US and Europe which limit use of fertilisers and pesticides.

“The laws on adulteration are weak here (in India). In China, death penalty is recommended for adulteration of milk and other foods. There should be at least life imprisonment,” he said.

When asked whether he would seek death penalty for food adulteration, he said, “I demand hanging till death for adulteration of ghee, medicines, edible oil...The government should seriously think about it.”

Taking a jibe at the Congress, Ramdev said, “Isse Pahale Luke-Chhipe Yog Karte the Indira Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Ab unki aanevali pidhiyon ne shayad usko samman nahin diya. Isliye unke rajyog me thodee see gadbad ho gayee hai (late PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira Gandhi too did yoga secr-etly. But may be their next generation has not given respect to yoga therefore, it has affected their political fortunes badly.”

“Isiliye kahata hun Yoga Karane se hamara din achcha hota hai. Hamara jeevan achcha hoga and Yoga karane valon ke achchhe din aate hain. Rajnitik, aarthik aur vaicharik drishti se bhi. (Therefore I say that Yoga makes the day good and it will make life healthy. Those who do yoga get good days in the political, economic and intellectual sense),” he said.