Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal launches ‘Bhabhi ji papad’, claims snack can drive away COVID-19

In a bizarre suggestion, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Heavy industries Arjun Ram Meghwal was seen in a viral video endorsing a brand of papad, saying it had ingredients that will boost a person’s immunity and help defeat the novel coronavirus.

In the video, the Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal is seen talking about the ingredients of a brand called ‘Bhabhi ji papad’ and says that it helps “develop antibodies” to fight against the virus.

Arjun Ram Meghwal is also seen wishing the brand’s owner Sunil Bhansali on the launch of the product, and saying that he hopes the venture will be “successful” under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative launched by the central government. The brand of papad claims it is an ‘immunity booster’ with “healthy ingredients” like turmeric, black pepper, black cumin, tulsi leaves, hing (asafoetida), moong dal, urad dal, salt, and other spices.

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The undated video has since caused a storm on social media, with many criticising the unscientific claims.

On Friday, Meghwal released a video on his Twitter handle speaking about papads and bhujiya from Rajasthan. The minister spoke about how they were very famous and he encouraged consumers to only support only local products, as part of the “vocal for local” initiative.

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