NEW DELHI: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Friday defended his controversial “sharbat jihad” remark, saying he did not name any specific brand or community, even as criticism mounted over what was criticised as a communal statement allegedly aimed at the popular drink Rooh Afza.
“I haven’t taken anybody’s name, but the Rooh Afza people took ‘sharbat jihad’ on themselves… this means they are doing this ‘jihad’,” Ramdev 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,” he added.
The controversy started around Baba Ramdev’s statement earlier this week which was blasted by Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, who on Tuesday approached the TT Nagar police station in Bhopal demanding the registration of an FIR against Ramdev for allegedly promoting religious hatred and hurting communal sentiments.
In his complaint, Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh, invoked sections 196(1)(a) and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, 2023, along with relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act. He alleged that Ramdev, while promoting Patanjali‘s Gulab Sharbat, indirectly targeted Rooh Afza by implying that proceeds from its sale were used to fund madrasas and mosques — terming it “sharbat jihad.”
Singh flagged a video purportedly shared from Ramdev’s official X account, claiming it was aimed at inciting communal sentiments to boost sales of Patanjali Ayurved’s products. “This statement of Ramdev is hurtful, full of animosity, and intended to provoke religious sentiments,” Singh said. “Calling the sale of Rooh Afza ‘sharbat jihad’ is not just defamatory, but unconstitutional.”
He had further alleged that Ramdev built a massive business empire by using religion and nationalism to promote his products, many of which, Singh claimed, have either failed to meet quality standards or have been banned by courts. “The entire country knows Ramdev was pointing at the Hamdard company, even though he didn’t name it directly,” Singh said. “Opposing a sharbat just because the owner is Muslim is hate speech, plain and simple.”
Singh stated that if police fail to act within a week, he would approach the court seeking legal recourse. “I have demanded that an FIR be registered under the existing laws,” he said. Additional deputy commissioner of police Rashmi Agrawal confirmed that Singh’s complaint had been received. “We are probing the complaint and will take action as per the findings,” she said.