GOI should act against patenting yoga and ayurveda: BJP

New Delhi, May 16 (UNI) Viewing the attempts in the United States to patent yoga and age old ayurvedic drugs as a serious violation of the patents norms, the BJP today asked the Government of India to take up the issue with its US counterpart and stop this obnoxious practice.

Ayurveda and asthanga yoga are both over 5,000-year-old Indian heritage and has been explained in detail in several ancient texts, including Patanjalali's Yoga Shastra. ''If these are sought to be lifted and patented as their own invention, it can't be tolerated,'' BJP Parliamentary Party Spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra said.

He said there were earlier unsuccessful attempts in the US to patent turmeric and neem and the government should nullify these attempts also.

UNI