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.