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SC calls for Baba Ramdev’s speech on allopathy, plea listed for Monday
Ramdev stirred controversy claiming he didn’t need Covid-19 vaccine since he had dual protection of yoga and Ayurveda.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed yoga guru Baba Ramdev to produce the original text of his speech questioning the efficacy of allopathy that made the Indian Medical Association (IMA) register multiple FIRs against him in different states.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) NV Ramana has asked him to file the document by Monday, the date for next hearing on the yoga guru’s plea to stay arrest following two criminal cases filed by IMA in Patna and Raipur. Ramdev has also sought that these two cases be clubbed.
The Patanjali Yogpeeth founder made disparaging remarks held to be unscientific and promoting vaccine hesitancy while questioning allopathy’s efficacy vis a vis coronavirus while talking to followers on May 19.
Ramdev stirred controversy claiming he didn’t need Covid-19 vaccine since he had dual protection of yoga and Ayurveda. He also claimed that the thousands of fatalities caused by Covid-19 showed that allopathy was not 100% effective. He also alleged that a section of the society was deliberately engaged in discrediting the ancient Indian science of healing. Several experts said Ramdev’s comments could be seen as promoting vaccine hesitancy at a time when it was the only effective way of fighting the global pandemic.
Although, he later clarified that he intended no ill-will to doctors. Delhi Medical Association filed a suit against him in the Delhi high court and IMA lodged FIRs in several other states including Bihar and Chhattisgarh..
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for the yoga guru before the Supreme Court, said that Ramdev had no axe to grind against doctors. “I propounded that ayurveda is better than allopathy. I am a public figure and I am entitled to have a view. I am not against anybody but everybody has a right to freedom of speech and expression.”
The bench, also comprising justices AS Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, could not find the original text of Ramdev’s speech, leading to Rohatgi seeking an adjournment to bring it on record.
Ramdev has pleaded that despite his apology, the IMA went ahead to file cases against him. The FIRs at Patna and Raipur include charges of intentionally causing insult with the intent to provoke breach of peace, punishable with a maximum sentence of two years under Section 504 of Indian Penal Code (IPC). Ramdev has also been charged with other offences under the IPC and the Disaster Management Act.
Rohatgi said Ramdev being a public figure seeks protection of the highest court since it was not feasible to approach individual high courts in view of multiple FIRs filed by IMA branches across the country.
