RSS to launch 'cow urine' as soft drink

Bangalore, Feb 13: Bored of having Pepsi and Coke, here comes a new soft drink 'Gau jal'! A team led by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is now in the final stages of developing the bovine brew. Om Prakash, the head of the department, said the drink – called 'gau jal', or 'cow water' – in Sanskrit was undergoing laboratory tests and would be launched 'very soon, maybe by the end of this year.'

He assured that the drink does not smell like urine and will be tasty too. "Its USP will be that it's going to be very healthy. It won't be like carbonated drinks and would be devoid of any toxins," added Om Prakash.

Gau Jal is the latest attempt made by the RSS to cleanse India of foreign influence and promote its ideology of Hindutva or Hindu-ness. Hindus consider Cow as a sacred animal and slaughtering them is illegal in most part of India.

It was in 2001, that RSS and its offshoots Bharatiya Janata Party began promoting cow urine as a cure for ailments ranging from liver disease to obesity and even cancer. The movement has often been criticised of using more violent methods, such as killing 67 Christians in the eastern state of Orissa last year. It also has a history of targeting foreign business in India, as in 1994, when it organised a nationwide boycott of multinational consumer goods, including Pepsi and Coca Cola.

Mr Prakash said his drink is made mainly of cow urine, mixed with a few medicinal and ayurvedic herbs in contrast to the cola drinks, which are have a strong market in India. He said it would be 'cheap', but declined to give further details about its price or ingredients until it was officially launched.

Prakash said he is confident of competing with the American cola brands even with their enormous advertising budgets. "We're going to give them good competition as our drink is good for mankind," he said. He added that the Sangh even has plans of exporting it.

OneIndia News (With inputs from Agencies)