New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday pulled up Yoga guru Baba Ramdev after he allegedly released a fresh video repeating his controversial “sharbat jihad” remarks against Hamdard’s Rooh Afza, despite earlier court directions prohibiting such statements. The matter pertains to a petition filed by the Hamdard National Foundation (India) against Ramdev and Patanjali Foods Ltd over objectionable statements made while promoting Patanjali’s “gulab sharbat”.
Ramdev allegedly claimed that proceeds from the sale of Rooh Afza were being used to build madrasas and mosques, and referred to it as “sharbat jihad” – a term that drew sharp criticism from the court during an earlier hearing. On April 22, the Delhi High Court expressed its disapproval of Ramdev’s comments, stating that the remarks “shook the conscience” of the court and were indefensible.
Ramdev assured the court he would take down all related videos and advertisements and was directed to file an affidavit confirming that he would refrain from making such statements in the future. However, during Thursday’s hearing, Hamdard’s counsel informed the court that a new video containing similar comments had recently gone viral. Taking note of this, Justice Amit Bansal remarked, “In view of the last order, his affidavit as well as this video are prima facie in contempt. I will issue a contempt notice now.
The Delhi High Court will hear on Friday charges of contempt of court proceedings against Baba Ramdev. The judge further commented on Ramdev’s repeated defiance, saying, “He is not in control of anyone. He lives in his own world.” Taking a serious note of his remarks, the court had earlier observed, “I couldn’t believe my ear and eyes when I saw the video.” Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Hamdard, argued that the issue went beyond disparagement and was “akin to hate speech,” aimed at creating communal discord. “It must be removed!” he asserted.
Around an hour after the Delhi High Court’s observation, Baba Ramdev’s lawyer told the court that the Patanjali group would be taking down all the videos in question. “I have [been] advised and we are pulling out the videos,” the lawyer told the court. “Whatever is in my control will be removed,” he assured, adding that if there was additional content flagged, “they can give it to us”.
Ramdev Baba’s comments in question were made earlier this month when he launched Patanjali’s rose sharbat. During the launch, Baba Ramdev said, “There’s a company that gives you sharbat, but the money it earns is used to construct madrasas and mosques.” While he did not name Hamdard or Rooh Afza, his comments were widely understood to have been directed at the popular drink.