Indian beef protesters raid McDonald's

Bharatiya Janata Party activists protest in Bombay

NEW DELHI, India -- McDonald's restaurants have faced the wrath of Hindu activists again over the use of beef flavoring in the chain's french fries in the United States.

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.

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.

Goyal was skeptical of the company's assurance, saying it had made similar promises in the United States 10 years ago, but continued to use beef flavoring in fries.

The protest was peaceful compared to those held on Friday when demonstrators from the Bajrang Dal, an affiliate of Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party, charged into a Bombay suburb outlet and smashed furniture and ceiling lights. No injuries were reported.

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.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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