New Delhi: Patanjali founder Baba Ramdev agreed before the Delhi High Court on Tuesday to remove recordings from social media in which he allegedly linked pharmaceutical and food business Hamdard's famous drink Rooh Afza to 'Sharbat Jihad'.
A bench of Justice Amit Bansal was hearing Hamdard's petition to have the Yoga guru's controversial videos removed from social media platforms.
Earlier this month, Ramdev, while promoting Patanjali's ‘Gulab Sharbat’, claimed that Rooh Afza’s parent company Hamdard was using its gain to build mosques and madrasas.
Later, Ramdev defended his speech, saying that he did not mention any brand or community.
During the course of the hearing, the single-judge Bench of Justice Amit Bansal, earlier in the day, slammed Baba Ramdev for using communal slurs against Rooh Afza.
“It shocks the conscience of the Court. This is indefensible,” said Justice Bansal.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Hamdard, said that such videos should not be allowed “even for a moment”, adding that Ramdev had earlier attacked the herbal health company Himalaya because it is also owned by a Muslim.
Rohatgi referred to the contempt proceedings initiated by the Supreme Court against Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved’s Managing Director Acharya Balakrishna over the continued publication of misleading advertisements and targeting allopathy.
In August last year, the duo were discharged of contempt of court notice in view of the apology tendered personally before the apex court and the public apology published by Patanjali in leading newspapers.
After Justice Bansal of the Delhi HC warned of a strong order, Ramadev’s counsel agreed to pull down the controversial video and advertisements.
The Delhi High Court asked Ramdev to file an undertaking on affidavit that he will not issue such statements, advertisements and social media posts in future. The matter will be heard next on May 1.
With inputs from IANS