Now, IMA lodges police complaint against Ramdev

Earlier, the IMA demanded an apology from Ramdev over his remarks on allopathic medicine, calling it a “stupid science”.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Thursday lodged a police complaint against yoga exponent Ramdev, seeking an FIR against him under the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act, and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code, for allegedly casting doubts and spreading misinformation about allopathic treatments deliberately in order to sell “unapproved drugs”.

Yoga guru Ramdev has been in the middle of a controversy over his video against allopathic medicines. (Mint File Photo/Pradeep Gaur)

“It is stated that the accused being a businessman, in order to take advantage of the present situation and his large public following, is wilfully and deliberately advancing dishonest representations… about allopathy and modern medicine … and to swindle them into parting with their monies by taking Swami Ramdev’s unapproved and dubious drugs,” the IMA said in a 14-page complaint to the IP Estate police station.

Earlier, the IMA demanded an apology from Ramdev over his remarks on allopathic medicine, calling it a “stupid science”. He withdrew his statements after receiving a strong-worded letter from Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, who called his remarks “inappropriate”. The IMA also served a defamation notice on Ramdev.

Ramdev’s aide Acharya Balkrishna later took to Twitter, saying the he and ayurveda were being targeted by allopathic practitioners.