Ramdev’s remarks: Federation of resident doctors’ associations to hold nationwide protest on June 1

By PTI
NEW DELHI: Upset over Yoga guru Ramdev’s remarks on allopathy, the federation of resident doctors associations on Saturday said they will hold a nationwide protest on June 1 and observe it as a ‘black day’.

In a statement, the federation has also sought an “unconditional open public apology” from him for his remarks.

In a tweet, the Federation of Resident Doctors Associations, India (FORDA) said, even after raising objections to statements by Ramdev, “no action has been taken yet.

We hereby declaring Nationwide #BlackDayProtest on 1st June,2021 at workplace, without hampering healthcare services”.

“We demand unconditional open public apology from him or action against him under the relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897,” the statement said.

It alleged that Ramdev’s remarks have added to the “vaccine hesitancy” among the people.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is currently underway in the country starting January 16.

A row had erupted over the yoga guru’s alleged remark in a viral video clip in which he was heard questioning some of the medicines being used to treat the coronavirus infection and saying that “lakhs have died from taking allopathic medicines for COVID-19”.

The remarks were met with vociferous protests.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked him to withdraw the “extremely unfortunate” statement following which Ramdev withdrew the statement on Sunday.

However, the yoga guru posed 25 questions to the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in an ‘open letter’ on his Twitter handle, asking if allopathy offered permanent relief for ailments.

His remarks had irked the medical fraternity, upsetting both the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Delhi Medical Association (DMA).

The IMA had also lodged a police complaint against Ramdev, seeking an FIR over his “dishonest and wrongful representations” on allopathy.

The IMA had earlier written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that yoga guru Ramdev be booked immediately under sedition charges for alleged misinformation campaign on vaccination and challenging government protocols for treatment of COVID-19.

The apex medical body of modern doctors has also served a defamation notice on Ramdev for his alleged disparaging remarks against allopathy and allopathic practitioners, demanding an apology from him within 15 days, failing which it said it will demand a compensation of Rs 1,000 crore from the yoga guru.