“Shocks Conscience”: Delhi High Court Warnings Ramdev’s ‘Sherbet Jihad’ Comment
Rooh Afza maker Hamdard approached court against Ramdev and asked the video to be taken down from social media.
New Delhi:
Yoga guru Ramdev has encountered new trouble with the courts. The Delhi High Court has noted that the ‘sherbet jihad’ comment by the founder of Patanjali Ayurved on popular squash drink Rooh Afza was “indefensible” and disturbed the “conscience” of the court. “It shocks the conscience of the court. This is indefensible,” Justice Amit Bansal stated while hearing a suit by Rooh Afza maker Hamdard, Live Law reported.
Earlier this week, Ramdev released a promotion video for Patanjali rose sherbet. Refraining from mentioning Hamdard by name, he stated, “A company makes money from selling sherbet and constructs mosques and madrasas. If you consume that sherbet, mosques and madrasas will be constructed. But if you consume Patanjali rose sherbet, gurukuls and Patanjali university will be constructed. As there is love jihad and vote jihad, there is also sherbet jihad.”
When the video created a controversy, Ramdev claimed that he did not mention any brand.
Hamdard, the maker of Rooh Afza, approached court against Ramdev and requested the withdrawal of the video from social media.
Representing Hamdard, Senior Counsel Mukul Rohatgi informed that it was a shocking case going beyond the defamation of the Rooh Afza brand and also a case of “communal divide.” He added Ramdev’s statement was akin to hate speech.
Mr Rohatgi stated that Ramdev’s Patanjali was such a recognized brand that it can market its products without defaming any other product. The veteran lawyer also mentioned the Supreme Court case against Ramdev and his aide Balkrishna in a case regarding misrepresentative advertisements. Interestingly, Mr Rohatgi himself had appeared on behalf of the founders of Patanjali back then.
“Shocks Conscience”:
Delhi High Court Flags Ramdev’s ‘Sherbet Jihad’ Remark Hamdard, the manufacturer of Rooh Afza, approached court against Ramdev and asked for the video to be taken down from social media.
Delhi High Court Flags Ramdev’s ‘Sherbet Jihad’ Remark
Ramdev’s comment of Rooh Afza have been identified by Delhi High Court New Delhi
Yoga guru Ramdev has again found himself in new trouble with the courts. The Delhi High Court has noted that the Patanjali Ayurved founder’s ‘sherbet jihad’ comment on popular squash beverage Rooh Afza was “indefensible” and rocked the “conscience” of the court. “It shocks the conscience of the court. This is indefensible,” Justice Amit Bansal remarked while hearing a lawsuit by Rooh Afza maker Hamdard, Live Law reported.
Earlier this month, Ramdev released a promotional clip for Patanjali’s rose sherbet. Without referring to Hamdard by name, he stated, “A company uses money made selling sherbet to construct mosques and madrasas. If you consume that sherbet, mosques and madrasas will be constructed. But if you consume Patanjali rose sherbet, gurukuls and Patanjali university will be constructed. Like love jihad and vote jihad, a sherbet jihad is also on.”
When the clip ignited discussion, Ramdev claimed he did not mention any brand.
Ramdev’s competitor Hamdard, which produces Rooh Afza, approached the court against Ramdev and requested that the clip be removed from social media.
Representing Hamdard, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi stated that it was a shocking case going beyond the disparagement of the product Rooh Afza and also a case of “communal divide.” He stated that Ramdev’s statements were akin to hate speech.
Mr Rohatgi told Ramdev’s Patanjali was a popular brand that could market its products without maligning some other product. The veteran lawyer also cited the Supreme Court case against Ramdev and his colleague Balkrishna in a misleading advertisements case. And curiously, it was Mr Rohatgi who represented the founders of Patanjali back then.
The issue went back to the Covid years, when Patanjali introduced a drug, Coronil, in 2021 and Ramdev had termed it the “first evidence-based medicine for COVID-19”. Patanjali also asserted that Coronil had World Health Organization certification, but the Indian Medical Association had labeled this as a “blatant lie”.
In August 2022, IMA relocated a petition against Patanjali following its placement of an advertisement in newspapers under the caption ‘Misconceptions Spread By Allopathy: Save Yourself And The Country From The Misconceptions Spread By Pharma And Medical Industry’. The advertisement asserted that Patanjali medicines had healed individuals from diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid, liver cirrhosis, arthritis and asthma.
The doctors’ organization described the “unceasing, relentless, and systematic dissemination of falsehoods” alongside Patanjali’s initiatives of making unsubstantiated claims to cure certain illnesses using Patanjali products. The founders of Patanjali later had to make public apologies and faced strict condemnation from the highest court.
In the Delhi High Court today, a proxy counsel appeared on behalf of Ramdev and requested a passover since the principal counsel was not available. Justice Bansal, however, instructed the principal counsel to report at noon and made it clear that failing to do so would be an invitation for a “very strong order.”
