News Analysis India

Tag: Ramdev

  • Maharashtra: Clamour to ‘slap, kick, tonsure’ Ramdev for his sexist utterances

    By IANS

    MUMBAI: A day after Yoga expert Ramdev’s stark comments on women’s attire from his viewpoint, the classical saying, ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ was fast turning true, here on Saturday.

    Furious political, social, women and farm activists brutally slammed Ramdev’s remarks with calls to “slap, kick and tonsure” him emanating from various quarters.

    Speaking at a free Yoga training programme for women on Friday in Thane, Ramdev blurted out without batting an eyelid: “Women look good in saris, they look great in salwar suits, and in my view they look good even if they don’t wear anything.”

    Apparently getting carried away by the huge gathering of women, Ramdev was flanked by Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena Thane MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and singer Amruta Fadnavis — wife of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and other prominent personalities.

    Expressing shock, farm widows’ leader Aparna Malikar from Vidarbha said Ramdev’s statement was nothing short of a ‘revelation’ of what goes on in his ‘filthy mind’ and serves as a warning to all women going before him to remain ‘extra-alert’.

    Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like MP Sanjay Raut, MLC Dr. Manisha Kayande and National Spokesperson Kishore Tiwari pounced on Ramdev for his “outrageous” remarks that insulted all the women of the country.

    “Why could not Amruta Fadnavis just get up and slap him there? This is my question,” an agitated Raut asked.

    Kayande also attacked the Dy CM’s wife demanding “she should have kicked him and walked out of the programme” but shockingly she was laughing, giggling, enjoying Ramdev’s remarks “as if he was doing an honour to womanhood”.

    Calling Ramdev “a disciple of the jailed perverts like Asaram Bapu and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh”, a fuming Tiwari said the government should take suo moto action against him for his brash words.

    “I am asking Amruta Bittiya… Why did you keep quiet when you witnessed all this? Did you also get carried away after he started praising you? What’s your stand now for all your sisters… And why don’t you strongly condemn Ramdev Baba,” Tiwari asked gently.

    “The whole country had seen years ago how Ramdev had worn a sari and ran at night to escape the police in Delhi…. How will he run now from the angry women? Will his relative and the crusading Amravati MP Navneet Kaur Rana care to react to (Ramdev’s) obnoxious behaviour,” demanded Kayande sharply.

    Nationalist Congress Party’s Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said Ramdev’s statements were clearly ‘vulgar and anti-women’ and asked why the state government was keeping a deafening silence instead of acting on the issue that has enraged womenfolk all over.

    Social activist Trupti Desai said she and the womenfolk were “aghast” at Ramdev’s public statement which indicates how his mind works towards women.

    “We strongly denounce him. We want the state and national commissions for women to take suo moto note of it and initiate action, otherwise we shall storm his next programme,” Desai warned.

    Demanding an unconditional apology, an irate Malikar also threatened to take a morcha at Ramdev’s next yoga camp in Maharashtra where they would “catch him, tonsure him and chop off his beard” as a punishment.

    Ramdev, 56, had conducted a Yoga Science Camp & Women’s Meeting through his Patanjali Yoga Peeth and Mumbai Mahila Patanjali Yoga Samiti in Thane.

    The bearded yoga master interacted with the women who could not change from their yoga attire to saris, which purportedly caught his eye and resulted in the verbal debacle soon afterwards that snowballed into a huge row.

    Ramdev also urged the people to remain happy and smiling, similar to Amruta Fadnavis – as he glanced and complimented her – to live a long and healthy life.

    MUMBAI: A day after Yoga expert Ramdev’s stark comments on women’s attire from his viewpoint, the classical saying, ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ was fast turning true, here on Saturday.

    Furious political, social, women and farm activists brutally slammed Ramdev’s remarks with calls to “slap, kick and tonsure” him emanating from various quarters.

    Speaking at a free Yoga training programme for women on Friday in Thane, Ramdev blurted out without batting an eyelid: “Women look good in saris, they look great in salwar suits, and in my view they look good even if they don’t wear anything.”

    Apparently getting carried away by the huge gathering of women, Ramdev was flanked by Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena Thane MP Shrikant Shinde, the son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and singer Amruta Fadnavis — wife of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and other prominent personalities.

    Expressing shock, farm widows’ leader Aparna Malikar from Vidarbha said Ramdev’s statement was nothing short of a ‘revelation’ of what goes on in his ‘filthy mind’ and serves as a warning to all women going before him to remain ‘extra-alert’.

    Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders like MP Sanjay Raut, MLC Dr. Manisha Kayande and National Spokesperson Kishore Tiwari pounced on Ramdev for his “outrageous” remarks that insulted all the women of the country.

    “Why could not Amruta Fadnavis just get up and slap him there? This is my question,” an agitated Raut asked.

    Kayande also attacked the Dy CM’s wife demanding “she should have kicked him and walked out of the programme” but shockingly she was laughing, giggling, enjoying Ramdev’s remarks “as if he was doing an honour to womanhood”.

    Calling Ramdev “a disciple of the jailed perverts like Asaram Bapu and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh”, a fuming Tiwari said the government should take suo moto action against him for his brash words.

    “I am asking Amruta Bittiya… Why did you keep quiet when you witnessed all this? Did you also get carried away after he started praising you? What’s your stand now for all your sisters… And why don’t you strongly condemn Ramdev Baba,” Tiwari asked gently.

    “The whole country had seen years ago how Ramdev had worn a sari and ran at night to escape the police in Delhi…. How will he run now from the angry women? Will his relative and the crusading Amravati MP Navneet Kaur Rana care to react to (Ramdev’s) obnoxious behaviour,” demanded Kayande sharply.

    Nationalist Congress Party’s Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said Ramdev’s statements were clearly ‘vulgar and anti-women’ and asked why the state government was keeping a deafening silence instead of acting on the issue that has enraged womenfolk all over.

    Social activist Trupti Desai said she and the womenfolk were “aghast” at Ramdev’s public statement which indicates how his mind works towards women.

    “We strongly denounce him. We want the state and national commissions for women to take suo moto note of it and initiate action, otherwise we shall storm his next programme,” Desai warned.

    Demanding an unconditional apology, an irate Malikar also threatened to take a morcha at Ramdev’s next yoga camp in Maharashtra where they would “catch him, tonsure him and chop off his beard” as a punishment.

    Ramdev, 56, had conducted a Yoga Science Camp & Women’s Meeting through his Patanjali Yoga Peeth and Mumbai Mahila Patanjali Yoga Samiti in Thane.

    The bearded yoga master interacted with the women who could not change from their yoga attire to saris, which purportedly caught his eye and resulted in the verbal debacle soon afterwards that snowballed into a huge row.

    Ramdev also urged the people to remain happy and smiling, similar to Amruta Fadnavis – as he glanced and complimented her – to live a long and healthy life.

  • ‘Welcome to have followers; don’t mislead by saying more than what is official’: HC tells Ramdev

    Senior advocate Akhil Sibal, appearing for the plaintiff associations, told the court that even recently, Ramdev made statements in public advertising Coronil as a treatment for COVID-19.

  • Some people ‘spreading anarchy’ to ‘remove’ PM Narendra Modi: Ramdev on Agnipath protests

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Terming protests against the Agnipath military recruitment scheme as “meaningless politics”, yoga guru Swami Ramdev on Wednesday alleged that a few people are “spreading anarchy” in the country to “remove” Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah from power.

    Addressing a yoga event at Delhi University, Ramdev said that there should be yoga in politics, but there should be no politics in yoga.

    “If they (protesters) had done yoga, they wouldn’t have resorted to arson. They should also perform yoga. It (protests against Agnipath) is a meaningless politics. Basically, a few people are running an agenda to spread anarchy in the country. They want to spread anarchy to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah from power,” he said.

    ALSO READ| Veerappa Moily slams govt for ‘Agnipath’ scheme, says it will result in ‘flood of unemployed’ youth

    The Agnipath scheme, announced by the Centre on June 14, proposes to recruit soldiers into the armed forces on a short-term contractual basis. The scheme envisages retiring 75 per cent of the recruits after four years of service without pension and health benefits, but with a payout package of nearly Rs 11.70 lakh.

    Following the announcement, violent protests broke out in several parts of the country. Ramdev was the chief guest on the second day of Yoga Week organized by the University of Delhi to commemorate the 8th International Day of Yoga.

    Union Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal was also present with him as a special guest. The programme was presided over by DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Yogesh Singh. “Yoga should be in politics also, but politics should not be in yoga,” Ramdev said.

    ALSO READ| Agnipath stir: Protestors to shell out for damages to public properties

    Explaining yoga, Ramdev said that yoga is self-discipline and self-motivation, and it has many dimensions with self-analysis. Being physically and mentally fit and keeping your mind, thoughts and emotions under control is yoga, he said.

    Speaking on the occasion, Meghwal said asanas, pranayam and meditation are complete yoga which feeds the main four organs of the body. “This eliminates negative thoughts and brings excellence. The meaning of yoga is to unite the mind, intellect and soul. When this addition is completed, then yoga takes place according to the Indian system,” he said.

  • Yoga guru Ramdev’s launch of TV channels in Nepal faces opposition over registration row

    By PTI

    KATHMANDU: The Nepal government will take action against yoga guru Ramdev’s two television channels if it is found that they are being operated in the country without seeking permission and or following due procedures, a senior official said on Sunday.

    Nepal’s Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ jointly launched the two TV channels – Aastha Nepal TV and Patanjali Nepal TV – in the presence of Ramdev and his close aide Acharya Balkrishna on Friday.

    The channels are meant for broadcasting religious and yoga-related programmes.

    However, Director General of Nepal’s Department of Information and Broadcasting Gogan Bahadur Hamal said that two television channels have never applied for registration and did not follow any legal procedure to start them.

    “We will take action if we found that Patanjali Nepal and Ashtha Nepal channels belonging to India’s yoga guru Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna have built infrastructures to broadcast the television programmes without fulfilling any legal formalities and even having registered,” Hamal told PTI.

    “We can’t believe the statement issued by the Patanjali Nepal. We have formed an investigation committee to find out the truth. If they have made any preparation regarding operating the television channels from Nepal without our permission and without following due procedures, we will take necessary action,” Hamal said.

    However, Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal said in a statement that it has already gone through a verification process for the television channels from Company Registrar’s Office and the process has been initiated for further permission from the bodies concerned for operating the television channels.

    “We have not actually broadcast the television channels, we have only made technical preparation for the same. We have only inaugurated the television broadcasting office building,” it said.

    It said the television channels – aimed at broadcasting programmes relating to yoga, Ayurvedic education, culture, literature and spiritual philosophy – will start operating only after the due processes.

    Commenting on the development, Patanjali Spokesperson S K Tijarawala said that the Aastha TV has a due license for downlinking in Nepal, which is valid up to 2024.

    “Prime Minister Debuba inaugurated the trial run of two channels – Aastha Nepal TV and Patanjali Nepal TV – with country-specific content in the Nepali language on November 19, 2021. It has got 30 days time to get commercial approval for this trial run for full telecast,” he said.

    He said that full broadcast will start as per the due procedure after December 19.

    “Information & Broadcasting Ministry of the Government of Nepal has already acknowledged the fact that this inauguration of the two channels – Aastha Nepal TV and Patanjali Nepal TV – is as per due diligence following the rules and regulations,” he added.

    Meanwhile, the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, an umbrella organisation of local journalists, issued a statement, saying the country’s law prevents foreign investment in the media and the launching of television channels by the Patanjali group was a violation of the law.

    “We want to remind the group concerned about the existing laws and rules that prevent operating TV channels under foreign investment,” it said.

  • Making profit is not a public nuisance: Delhi High Court in Coronil case 

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: While hearing a petition seeking action against Yoga Guru Ramdev for wrongfully promoting Coronil as a cure for COVID-19 during second wave, the high court on Monday stated that making profit is neither a public nuisance nor a wrongful act.

    “Let’s not go into commercial gain. Everyone works for profit. You have to make a case of public nuisance or wrongful act. Making profit is not a public nuisance nor a wrongful act,” said Justice C Harishankar.

    Slamming Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev for promoting Coronil as a cure for COVID-19, a bunch of doctors association argued through their counsel said that Ramdev made irresponsible statements by saying that allopathy is killing people and he has a cure for it in Coronil. Representing the doctors, senior advocate Akhil Sibal said that Ramdev marketed a drug for commercial use having a two-fold objective. 

    “The idea is nobody says don’t indulge in commerce. This is not merely a case of somebody exercising a bona fide opinion about something. This is somebody exercising a bona fide opinion about something. This is somebody who is marketing a drug for commercial use having a twofold objective. He says I have cured 90 percent of people, allopathy might have cured 10 percent so you come to me,” said Sibal.

    The petition was filed by three Resident Doctors’ Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Rishikesh, Patna and Bhubaneshwar; Association of Resident Doctors, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh; Union of Resident Doctors of Punjab (URDP); Resident Doctors’ Association, Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut, and Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association, Hyderabad, and had moved the high court earlier this year.

  • India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match against national interest: Ramdev

    Yoga guru Ramdev on Saturday said the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match scheduled for Sunday is against the national interest.

  • Supreme Court to examine original records of Ramdev’s statement on allopathy

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court would examine on Monday the original records of the statements of Yoga guru Ramdev on the use of allopathic medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic following his plea to stay investigation and transfer the cases lodged against him in this connection to Delhi.

    Multiple FIRs have been lodged against Ramdev in Patna and Raipur following complaints by the Indian Medical Association.

    A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy would on Monday hear the plea of Ramdev seeking clubbing of the FIRs on the issue and their transfer to Delhi.

    As an interim relief, Ramdev has also urged for a stay on the investigation in connection with the criminal complaints.

    “What is the original thing which he has said? You have not placed the whole thing,” the bench had observed which prompted senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev, to say that the original records of his statements would be filed.

    The criminal complaints have been lodged by Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Bihar and Chhattisgarh over his alleged remarks against the use of allopathic medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Patna and Raipur chapters of the IMA have lodged complaints against Ramdev,alleging that his remarks are likely to cause prejudice to the COVID control mechanism and may dissuade people from availing proper treatment against the pandemic.

    The yoga guru has been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

    Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the IPC have been invoked against him.

    Ramdev, whose alleged statements stirred a nationwide debate over the issue of Allopathy versus Ayurveda, however, had withdrawn his statements on May 23 after receiving a letter from Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who had called his remarks as “inappropriate”.

    The top court is likely to also consider a plea of the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) which has sought permission to become a party to the case, alleging that Ramdev insulted allopathy and “instigated” people to disregard vaccines and treatment protocols.

    The DMA, having 15,000 Delhi doctors as members, has claimed that Ramdev’s Patanjali earned over Rs 1,000 crore by selling Coronil kits which were not approved by medical bodies.

  • SC asks Ramdev to place original record of his statement on allopathy

    By PTI
    The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Baba Ramdev to place before it the original record of his statement allegedly given against the use of allopathic medicine during COVID-19 pandemic.

    “What is the original thing which he has said? You have not placed the whole thing,” a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who was appearing for the yoga guru.

    Rohatgi told the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, that he would file the original video along with the transcript of the statement.

    “Heard senior counsel appearing for the petitioner – Swami Ram Dev for some time. Advocate-on-record appearing for the petitioner is directed to file additional documents in the matter,” the bench said in its order and posted the matter for hearing on July 5.

    The top court was hearing Ramdev’s plea seeking stay on the proceedings in connection with multiple FIRs lodged against him by Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Bihar and Chhattisgarh over his alleged remarks against use of allopathic medicine during COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Patna and Raipur chapters of the IMA have lodged complaints against Ramdev alleging that his remarks are likely to cause prejudice to the COVID control mechanism and may dissuade people from availing proper treatment against the pandemic.

    In his plea, he has sought transfer of the FIRs lodged in Patna and Raipur to Delhi.

    During the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, Rohatgi told the bench that Ramdev is a public figure and proponent of yoga and ayurveda.

    He said that during an event, Ramdev had read out a WhatsApp message which was sent to him.

    Ramdev has clarified that he has nothing against doctors or anyone, Rohatgi said, adding that several complaints have been registered against the yoga guru at different places.

    “Different complaints and FIRs have been filed against him,” he said, adding that these complaints be clubbed in Delhi.

    Rohatgi said that last year, when Patanjali had brought ‘coronil’, allopathic doctors were against him.

    “He (Ramdev) is not against them. Why should he go to so many places. Everybody has freedom of speech,” he said.

    Ramdev has been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

    Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to aa infection of disease dangerous to life) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the IPC have been invoked against him.

    Ramdev, whose alleged statements created a nationwide debate over Allopathy versus Ayurveda issue, however, had withdrawn his statements on May 23 after receiving a letter from Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan who had called his remarks as “inappropriate”.

    Ramdev has sought clubbing of FIRs on the issue and their transfer to Delhi and as an interim relief, he has also urged for a stay on the investigation in connection with the criminal complaints.

  • Ramdev moves Supreme Court against multiple FIRs over his allopathy remarks

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Yoga guru Ramdev on Wednesday approached the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the proceedings in multiple cases lodged against him in various states over his alleged remarks on the efficacy of allopathy in the treatment of COVID-19.

    Ramdev has sought protection from coercive actions in FIRs lodged by Indian Medical Associations’ (IMA) Patna and Raipur branches, and transfer of FIRs to Delhi.

    He has also sought clubbing and consolidation of FIRs and stay of the proceedings.

    Ramdev has been booked under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005.

    ALSO READ | Chhattisgarh Police file FIR against Baba Ramdev for ‘misleading’ remarks on allopathy

    In a video, Ramdev was allegedly heard saying, “Allopathy is a stupid science and medicines such as Remdesivir, Fabiflu, and other drugs approved by the Drugs Controller General of India have failed to treat COVID-19 patients.”

    His remarks caused massive outrage and the IMA sent over a legal notice to him.

    On June 16, police in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by Raipur’s IMA unit against Ramdev for allegedly spreading “false” information about the medicines being used by the medical fraternity for the treatment of COVID-19.

    As per the complaint, since over the last one year, Ramdev has been allegedly propagating false information and his threatening statements on social media against medicines being used by the medical fraternity, Government of India, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and other frontline organisations in the treatment of COVID-19 infection.

    The complaint said that there are several videos of Ramdev on social media in which he had allegedly made such misleading remarks.

  • Gujarat doctors approach police for action against Ramdev

    By PTI
    AHMEDABAD: Prominent associations representing doctors in Gujarat on Monday approached the Ahmedabad city police and sought registration of an FIR against yoga guru Ramdev for his alleged disparaging remarks against modern medicine and its practitioners.

    Senior doctors and office-bearers of the Gujarat unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Ahmedabad Medical Association (AMA) submitted separate applications to the Navrangpura police, seeking action against Ramdev, who is in the eye of a storm over his remarks on allopathy and vaccines.

    They urged the police to lodge an FIR against Ramdev under relevant sections of the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act (invoked in view of the COVID-19 pandemic).

    Police said they have accepted the “memorandums” from the doctors.

    “We have accepted the memorandums given by the IMA and the AMA. However, the issue they have raised is beyond our jurisdiction,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-1, Ravindra Patel.

    No FIR will be lodged in the city, he said.

    In the application, the IMA alleged that Ramdev was trying to incite people against doctors by claiming that allopathy is a “stupid science” and “lakh of people died after consuming allopathy medicines”.

    “Ramdev talked rubbish about modern medicine. He even said people need not take vaccine against coronavirus. If people do not take vaccine, it will be difficult to stop the third (coronavirus) wave.

    “We want the police to take action against Ramdev for his comments,” said Dr Devendra Patel, President, IMA-Gujarat.

    Dr Mona Desai, immediate past president, AMA, said at the time of a pandemic, Ramdev is “misguiding people” and using “bad words” for doctors who have served people by risking their own lives.

    AMA president Kirit Gadhavi even sought pressing of sedition charges against Ramdev for “downplaying the importance of coronavirus vaccine”.

    A few days ago, Ramdev was forced to withdraw a statement made in a viral video clip in which he is 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 IMA, the apex medical body of modern doctors, had served a defamation notice on Ramdev for his remarks.