Ramdev’s ‘sharbat jihad’ remark shocks court’s conscience: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on 22 April, Tuesday observed that yoga guru Ramdev's purported remark of ‘sharbat jihad’ on Hamdard's Rooh Afza shook its conscience and was indefensible.

Justice Amit Bansal, who was hearing a plea by Hamdard National Foundation India against Ramdev's Patanjali Foods Ltd, said, “It shocks the conscience of the court. It is indefensible. You (counsel for Ramdev) take instructions from your client, otherwise there will be a strong order”.

The counsel for Hamdard apprised the court that recently, while promoting Patanjali's gulab sharbat, Ramdev claimed that the money earned from Hamdard's Rooh Afza was used to build madrasas and mosques.

Later, Ramdev defended his remark and said that he did not name any brand or community.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Hamdard, said the case goes beyond disparagement and it was a case of creating a “communal divide”.

“This amounts to hate speech. He says it is a ‘sharbat jihad’. He should carry on his business. Why is he troubling us?” the senior lawyer said.

As the counsel who had to argue the case for Ramdev was not available, the court would take up the matter again after some time.

When the court reconvened, the counsel for Ramdev assured the Delhi High Court that he will immediately remove videos and social media posts relating to his purported ‘sharbat jihad’ remarks on Hamdard’s Rooh Afza.