Re: Hindus kill three Muslims and torch 40 houses in India over rumors of cow slaughter !
Cow dung attack
Protesters later smeared cow dung on a McDonald’s mascot at another outlet in Bombay, India’s financial capital.
On Saturday, Vikram Bakshi, managing director of McDonald’s in New Delhi, told reporters that the company has developed a menu especially for India that gives consideration to Indian cultural and religious sentiments.
“McDonald’s India does not use beef or pork. We also do not use any animal flavoring or extract for any of our vegetable products, including French fries.”
He expressed the hope that the controversy would die down soon.
The protests began after Indian newspapers on Friday carried front-page reports of a lawsuit filed in the United States.
An Indian-American lawyer accused McDonald’s of using beef fat in the preparation of French fries more than a decade after it said it would cook its fries in vegetable oil.
The lawsuit for unspecified damages was filed on behalf of two Hindus who do not eat meat and one non-Hindu vegetarian Tuesday at the King County Superior Court in Seattle, Washington, by attorney Harish Bharti.
Most of India’s Hindus – 85 percent of the population – are vegetarians, although with urbanization and migration more Indians are becoming meat eaters.
McDonald’s India, which opened its first restaurant in India in October 1996, now has 28 outlets in New Delhi, Bombay, Pune, Jaipur and on the Delhi-Agra highway.
The Shiv Sena opposes the growing influence of Western culture on Indian society, including Valentine’s Day celebrations, the wearing of jeans, and honeymoons for newlyweds.
http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/05/04/india.mcdonalds/