Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued summons against Yog Guru Baba Ramdev over a suit filed by Indian Medical Association and other doctors’ associations for allegedly spreading misinformation about allopathy amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Justice C Hari Shankar has given four weeks to Baba Ramdev to submit his reply and has posted the matter in January. The bench noted that the plea was not frivolous and a case for its institution was “definitely” made out.
“Not expressing any opinion” on the merits of the allegations in the plaint against the yoga guru and the issue of grant of any relief, interim or otherwise, shall be looked into subsequently,” said Justice Shankar.
“I have seen the video clips (of Ramdev). From the perusal of the video clips, your client is scorning the allopathic treatment protocol. He has literally gone to scorn at the prescription of steroids, people going to hospitals. From the perusal of the clips, there is definitely a case for the institution of the suit. They (plaintiffs) may have nothing for an injunction but the case is not frivolous,” added the bench.
Senior counsel Rajiv Nayar, appearing for Baba Ramdev, submitted that he doesn’t have any objections against the summons issued but he opposes the allegations made.
Advocate Nayar urged the court, “There are three parts to the suit — Coronil, defamation, and hesitancy against vaccination. The court may restrict notice to only defamation.”
“I am not passing any order. You file your written statement. Say there is no case. Permission to institute the suit is allowed. Let the plaint be registered as a suit. Let summons be issued in the suit,” the court said.
The court has also summoned Acharya Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurveda. Justice Shankar has also sought reply from Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
Three Resident Doctors’ Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Rishikesh, Patna and Bhubaneshwar as well as Association of Resident Doctors, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh; Union of Resident Doctors of Punjab (URDP); Resident Doctors’ Association, Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut, and Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association, Hyderabad had moved Delhi High Court earlier this year.
In the plea, they have mentioned that Baba Ramdev was misleading and misrepresenting to the public at large by giving defamatory statements against allopathy and allopathy doctors. He had allegedly said that allopathy and allopathic doctors were responsible for the deaths due to Covid-19.
“The doctors’ plea deserved consideration and could not be “thrown out” at the first stage as, at the present stage, it needed “to see if allegations in the plaint make out a case to be entertained,” the court said last week.
Ramdev’s Statements That Led To Controversies
- “Allopathy is stupid and failed science. Lakhs of patients have died after taking allopathic medicines.”
- “Over 1000 doctors died after taking both doses of medicines.”
- “Patients Just don’t know how to breathe properly, and therefore, spread negativity and complain of a shortage of oxygen and cremation sites.”
- “Doctors should not fall ill at all if allopathy is all powerful and sarvaguna sampana.”
- “Our target would be to convert over 1000 allopathic doctors to naturopathy.”
- “Unka Baap Bhi Arrest Nhi Kar Sakta (Even their father cannot arrest me”.
