Delhi High Court Rebukes Ramdev for ‘Sharbat Jihad’ Remarks

Warns Yoga Guru of Stringent Action if Communal Attacks Persist

April 22, 2025

Photo courtesy of Bollywood Hungama via Wikimedia Commons

The Delhi High Court expressed strong disapproval against Baba Ramdev, founder of Patanjali, for using the misleading and provocative term “Rooh Afza jihad” in communal remarks targeting Hamdard, the pharmaceutical and food company famous for its popular drink, Rooh Afza. The matter came up before Justice Amit Bansal, who, after hearing preliminary arguments on April 22, warned Ramdev’s counsel of issuing a stringent order if such behaviour continued.

The judge remarked that Ramdev’s comments were indefensible and deeply troubling to the court, as reported by Bar and Bench.

Hamdard moved court over Ramdev’s controversial statements made on April 3 in a promotional video for Patanjali’s own beverage, Gulab Sharbat. In the video, Ramdev accused Hamdard of funding the construction of mosques and Islamic seminaries (madrasas) using profits from sales of Rooh Afza.

Ramdev further inflamed controversy by referring to Rooh Afza as part of a ‘sharbat jihad’, a phrase that carries strong communal implications by associating a common beverage with alleged religious propaganda and communal intent. 

The court was informed by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Hamdard, that Ramdev had repeatedly targeted the company, explicitly attacking the religious identity of Hamdard’s owners. Rohatgi asserted that Ramdev’s statements went far beyond typical business rivalry and amounted to communal incitement, dangerously close to hate speech.

Rohatgi told the court that such provocative comments would not be protected under the principles of defamation law because their intent and impact were to provoke communal tensions rather than merely disparage a competitor’s product or reputation.

Rohatgi added that Ramdev had similarly targeted Himalaya, another prominent brand, solely because of its Muslim ownership. The lawyer strongly argued that such comments, which seek to create division and inflame communal tensions, should not be tolerated even briefly, especially given India’s current socio-political climate, already marked by communal strains.

Ramdev previously attracted severe criticism from the Supreme Court of India for making irresponsible remarks about allopathic medicine, indicating a pattern of inflammatory public commentary.

Patanjali products have faced multiple controversies over the years. While the brand gained popularity due to claims of offering natural and Ayurvedic alternatives, it has repeatedly come under scrutiny over quality, misleading advertising and controversial statements made by Ramdev himself.

Several controversies have involved accusations of misleading claims.

For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Patanjali launched a product called “Coronil,” initially marketed as a cure for COVID-19. The claim led to widespread criticism from medical experts and government authorities, forcing Patanjali to revise its messaging and reposition Coronil as an immunity booster rather than a COVID-19 cure.

Patanjali has also faced quality-related issues.

In 2017, Nepal’s Department of Drug Administration (DDA) imposed a ban on six herbal products manufactured by Patanjali. The decision followed laboratory tests which revealed that the products failed to meet safety standards, with some found to be contaminated with harmful bacteria, including Escherichia coli and Shigella, which can cause severe gastrointestinal infections in humans, leading to symptoms such as diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, fever, and in some cases, life-threatening complications like haemolytic uremic syndrome.

The banned items included widely consumed Ayurvedic medicines such as Divya Gashar Churna, Divya Triphala Churna and Divya Kayakalp Kwath. Nepalese authorities stated that the products did not comply with required microbial limits and posed a potential health risk to consumers.

Indian food regulators have also raised multiple red flags about Patanjali products over the years, particularly its honey, ghee and noodles.

In 2020, a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that Patanjali’s honey samples failed purity tests designed to detect sugar syrup adulteration, despite passing conventional checks.

Earlier, Patanjali’s instant noodles were found to be sold without proper product approval from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), prompting regulatory scrutiny.

The company’s ghee was also flagged in states like Kerala for substandard quality, including lower-than-permitted fat content.