The Delhi High Court came down strongly on Patanjali founder and yoga guru Ramdev on Tuesday over his controversial “Sharbat Jihad” remark, allegedly aimed at Hamdard’s popular drink Rooh Afza. Justice Amit Bansal, who was hearing a defamation suit filed by Hamdard Laboratories, called the comment “indefensible” and something that “shocks the conscience of the court”.
Ramdev’s remark on April 3 accused Hamdard of using its earnings to fund masjids and madrasas, prompting the company to approach the court. Hamdard claimed the statement was defamatory and communally charged.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Hamdard, said, “This is a case which is shocking, which goes beyond disparagement. This is a case of creating communal divide, akin to hate speech. It will not have protection from law of defamation.” He added, “This should not be even allowed for a moment. We have enough problems in this country.”
As per Bar and Bench, the court has asked Ramdev’s counsel to remain present at the next hearing. Meanwhile, Ramdev defended his remarks, stating, “I haven’t taken anybody’s name, but the Rooh Afza people took ‘sharbat jihad’ on themselves… this means they are doing this ‘jihad’.”
He continued, “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.”
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh also took action, filing a complaint at the TT Nagar police station in Bhopal and demanding an FIR under Sections 196(1)(a) and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, along with the IT Act. Singh accused Ramdev of using a video from his official X account to incite religious sentiments for commercial gain.
Section 196 pertains to promoting enmity between groups on religious, racial, linguistic, or regional grounds, while Section 299 addresses acts intended to outrage religious feelings.
