The Delhi High Court sharply rebuked yoga mentor Ramdev for calling Hamdard’s Rooh Afza “Sharbat Jihad” on Tuesday. Justice Amit Bansal called the remark “indefensible.” He added that it “shocks the conscience of the court.”
Hamdard Files Defamation Suit
Hamdard Laboratories had moved the court after Ramdev’s April 3 claim that the company used its profits “to build mosques and madrasas.” Consequently, Hamdard accused him of defamation and hate speech.
Lawyer’s Strong Argument
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Hamdard, argued vigorously. He said, “This is a case of creating communal divide, akin to hate speech.” Moreover, he warned, “It will not have protection from law of defamation.” He stressed, “This should not be even allowed for a moment. We have enough problems in this country.”
Court’s Next Steps
However, the court did not deliver an immediate ruling. Instead, Justice Bansal asked Ramdev’s lawyer to appear at the next hearing.
Ramdev’s Public Defense
Meanwhile, on Friday, Ramdev defended his words to the media. He insisted that he had “not taken anybody’s name.” He claimed, “But the Rooh Afza people took ‘sharbat jihad’ on themselves… this means they are doing this ‘jihad.’” He then said, “If they are dedicated to Islam and are building masjids and madrasas, then they should be happy. However, the Sanatanis should understand… If someone has a problem with this, then let it be.”
FIR Demand by Digvijaya Singh
Furthermore, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh filed a complaint with Bhopal police. He sought an FIR against Ramdev under sections 196(1)(a) and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Singh claimed that Ramdev’s video on X aimed to boost Patanjali sales by stirring communal emotions.
Ramdev’s “Sharbat Jihad” Explanation
In a video shared by “Patanjali Products” on Facebook, Ramdev contrasted other cold drinks with Patanjali’s rose sharbat. He said, “In the name of quenching thirst during summers, people drink cold beverages that are basically toilet cleaners. On one side, there’s the attack of toilet-cleaner-like poison, and on the other, there’s a company selling sharbat, which uses the money earned from it to build mosques and madrasas. That’s fine, it’s their religion.”
Finally, he argued, “That’s why I say, just like there is love jihad and vote jihad, there is also sharbat jihad. So, you must protect yourself from this sharbat jihad.”
