Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (SHP)

New Delhi, Mar 20: Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes on Wednesday promoted the consumption of 'gaumutra' after he recalls a case where a man claimed to have been cured of cancer because of drinking 'gaumutra'.

Amidst the debate in Rajya Sabha over two bills for setting up national commissions for homoeopathy and Indian systems of medicine, the former Union minister said, "My extreme friend Jairam Ramesh pulls my leg when I talk of 'gaumutra'." Fernandes shared an anecdote when he once visited an ashram in Meerut where he met a man who cured his cancer through drinking 'gaumutra'.

Continuing to praise ancient Indian methods, he shared a personal experience where he preached the healing power of Indian systems of medicine. One of the cases included Fernandes suffering from severe joint pain in the knees and had to go through with replacement surgery. However, the Congress leader claimed that he instead refused surgery and practised 'Vajrasana'.

"I started Vajrasana, practising yoga, and today I am able to do wrestling without any difficulty," Fernandes said.

"Yoga is our wealth. If you practise yoga, maybe our budget cost of health can be reduced by 50 per cent. It's a way of life," he said.

Though Fernandes supported the bills, he raised objection over the exclusion of yoga and naturopathy.