The Delhi High Court on Thursday pulled up Yoga guru Baba Ramdev after he allegedly released a fresh video repeating his controversial "sherbet jihad" remarks against Hamdard's Rooh Afza, despite earlier court directions prohibiting such statements. The court observed that Ramdev was "not in control of anyone" and "lived in his own world", finding him in prima facie contempt of its previous order.
Baba Ramdev has agreed to delete the controversial portion of the video from all public platforms, including social media, within 24 hours as directed by the court, his lawyer said.
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 sherbet".
In the promotional material, Ramdev allegedly claimed that proceeds from the sale of Rooh Afza were being used to build madrasas and mosques, and referred to it as "sherbet 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. Following this, 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.
The Court, however, appeared unconvinced due to the latest video.
"I don't care about his political views. I am concerned with the suit. How do we ensure compliance...that he does not refer to their name, their goods?" Justice Amit Bansal asked.
Nayar responded that there cannot be a permanent gag order against Ramdev. At this, the court said, "If that is the stance, then we will issue contempt notices. The tone and tenor of the new video are almost similar".
Following the submission that Ramdev's latest video would be taken down, the Court did not issue the contempt of court notice.
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".
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