Kolkata, March 18: As the scare around coronavirus grows, so does the myths and the rumours around it. One such popular being consuming cow urine can help keep coronavirus away. The Kolkata Police arrested a BJP leader on Tuesday after he gave cow urine to drink claiming that it would protect them from contracting the contagious COVID-19.

According to a Hindustan Times report, Narayan Chatterjee, a BJP leader from the Jorasanko area had organised an event where he was distributing cow urine, telling people that it offered complete protection against coronavirus. He even offered it to a Home Guard personnel in uniform who drank it. The Home guard lodged a complaint at the police station alleging that he was offered cow urine that was given to him as “charanamrita” or ambrosia. Cow Urine, Dung Sold as Anti-COVID Drug by West Bengal Milk Trader, Gets Arrested.

The BJP leader was arrested in the evening and was quoted saying, “I committed no crime. I drank it myself before offering it to others. I know for sure it protects from novel coronavirus."

Watch Video of Narayan Chatterjee distributing cow urine claiming to protect from COVID-19:

Chatterjee's arrest came just hours just after a milk trader was also arrested for selling cow dung and urine in a makeshift roadside shop in Hooghly district's Dankuni, about 20 km from Kolkata. The trader was arrested on the charges of "cheating and hurting religious sentiments".

The trader had from Monday started selling the two bovine excreta claiming the products would ward off Coronavirus infection. He said he took inspiration from the Hindu Mahasabha event on gomutra in Delhi. At Ali's stall, one could drink the urine of Indian cows at Rs 500 a litre and take the dung at Rs 500 a kilo.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 18, 2020 07:51 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).