On Friday, the Delhi High Court addressed the issue of disparaging remarks made by Baba Ramdev, the founder of Patanjali, in a case filed by Hamdard National Foundation India. The Court emphasised the importance of adhering to its previous order, directing Baba Ramdev to submit an affidavit by today, undertaking that he will refrain from issuing any further statements, social media posts, or videos that contain communal slurs against competitor companies. This ruling follows a series of controversial remarks made by Ramdev about Hamdard’s product, Rooh Afza, and his use of inflammatory language.
The legal dispute arose when Hamdard Foundation, a prominent pharmaceutical and food company, accused Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Foods of making derogatory comments targeting its popular drink, Rooh Afza. Specifically, on April 3, 2023, Ramdev made statements during a promotional video for his own product, Gulab Sharbat, in which he targeted Hamdard, claiming that the company was using its funds for religious purposes, including building masjids and madrasas. Ramdev further used the term "sharbat jihad" in the video, which led to public backlash and the legal action.
On April 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court directed both Ramdev and Patanjali Foods to file affidavits committing to refrain from issuing any further disparaging remarks in the future, similar to the ones in question. Despite this, the issue resurfaced when Ramdev published another controversial video targeting Hamdard, prompting further legal action.
In the most recent hearing, Ramdev’s counsel, Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, assured the Court that the videos in question would be taken down and that affidavits would be filed in compliance with the Court’s order. He submitted that the controversial video on YouTube had been set to private, though still accessible to Ramdev's subscribers, which led to concerns about full compliance with the Court’s earlier directive.
Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Hamdard, raised the issue of the video’s continued visibility to subscribers, even though it was no longer publicly available. In response, Nayar affirmed that Patanjali would fully comply with the Court’s directions and remove the video within 24 hours.
Justice Amit Bansal, while addressing the matter, reiterated the Court's strong disapproval of Ramdev's earlier remarks. The judge emphasised the gravity of the situation, remarking that the statements made by Ramdev had shocked the Court’s conscience. Justice Bansal expressed disbelief when first viewing the videos, stating, "I could not believe my eyes and ears when I saw this [videos]." The Court underscored the importance of compliance with its orders to prevent further communal slurs and emphasised that such conduct was unacceptable.
In its order, the Court took strong note of Ramdev's actions and issued a directive for the submission of an affidavit within the stipulated time frame. The Court warned of potential contempt of court proceedings if the directions were not followed. It also addressed the continued presence of the controversial video on YouTube, ensuring that the video would be taken down within 24 hours. The Court, however, postponed the final disposal of the matter and set a further hearing for May 9, 2023, to ensure full compliance with its orders.
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