New Delhi: An Indian ministry that promotes yoga and indigenous medicines has advised pregnant women to stay away from “desire and hatred” and focus on spiritual thoughts if they want healthy babies.

The advice appears in a booklet federal Ayush (life) Minister Shripad Naik released in the first week of June as part of a media kit for health editors. The event was among the many programs the ministry organized ahead of the International Yoga Day on June 21, reports ndtv.com.

Expecting mothers are advised to “detach themselves from desire, anger, attachment, hatred and lust” and also “avoid bad company, be with good people in stable and peaceful condition always.”

Although the booklet also dwells on the benefits of yoga and a healthy diet, it is parts like these that are inexplicable – “During pregnancy, women have to do self-study, should have spiritual thoughts, should read the life history of great personalities and should keep themselves in peace.”

The mother and child care booklet was published by the government-funded Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy, which is a part of the Ayush Ministry.

One of the doctors involved in producing the booklet asserted that this was meant to be “only a suggestion,” not prescription. “Non-veg should be avoided during pregnancy. We never wrote sex must be avoided,” said Ishwara Acharya.

Many have derided the advice and the ministry has promised to publish a clarification.

Gynecologist Mandakini Kumari disagreed with the ministry’s mantra for mothers. “It is not recommended to avoid non-vegetarian food at all…it is a good source of protein and carbohydrates,” she said, adding, “Sex is also fine unless there are complications.”

The federal coalition government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party formed the Ayush Ministry months after it took power in 2014, to give an extra boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push for yoga.

The Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy, abbreviated as AYUSH, aims to develop education and research in ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine), yoga, naturopathy, unani, siddha, homoeopathy, Sowa-rigpa (traditional Tibetan medicine), and other Indigenous Medicine systems.