Hindus protest use of beef

Hindus protest use of beef

NEW DELHI, India (AP): A Hindu nationalist group shouted
slogans outside the corporate office of McDonald's in the Indian
capital on Saturday, demanding the closure of all its outlets
following a controversy over the use of beef flavoring in the
chain's French fries in the United States.

More than 50 protesters belonging to the Shiv Sena, an
alliance partner of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's
government, refused to accept the company's clarification that
French fries and other vegetarian products sold in India "do not
contain any beef or animal extracts, of whatsoever kind."

In a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Vajpayee,
Jaibhagwan Goyal, a local Shiv Sena leader, demanded that the
government order immediate closure of all McDonald's restaurants
in the country.