The Delhi High Court on Thursday came down heavily on yoga guru Baba Ramdev for allegedly releasing a fresh video targeting Hamdard, despite an earlier undertaking to refrain from making similar statements against the brand.
The court was hearing a plea filed by Hamdard National Foundation India against Ramdev and his Patanjali Foods Ltd.
Last week, after the court slammed Ramdev over his remarks allegedly targeting Hamdard’s popular drink Rooh Afza as “Sharbat Jihad”, he agreed to immediately take down all related videos.
The court had then described Ramdev’s video as “indefensible” and “shocking” to the conscience of the court.
However, on Thursday, Hamdard’s counsel informed the court that Ramdev has posted yet another video containing objectionable content.
Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, representing Hamdard, said, “Within a day, it has 8.9 lakh views and 8,500 likes and 2,200 comments and the video has gone viral. That is the reach of such a communal video which was far beyond what is permissible in law”.
Senior advocates Rajiv Nayar and Jayant Mehta, appearing for Ramdev and Patanjali, informed the court that, as per instructions, the offending portion of the latest video would be removed from all social media platforms within 24 hours. The counsel said there wasn’t disparagement of products of any other company in the video and that contempt was not attracted.
After watching the new video put out by Ramdev, Justice Amit Bansal told Ramdev’s counsel, “I think he (Ramdev) is beyond your control.” The counsel cannot justify such a video, the judge added.
“This shows the falsity of his affidavit in which he stated that he was a law-abiding citizen and strictly upholds the law of the land,” the court noted.
“He (Ramdev) is not in control of anyone. He lives in his own world,” the court remarked and posted the hearing in the case for Friday.
