Rooh Afza row: Why Baba Ramdev’s ‘sharbat jihad’ remarks landed him in legal trouble

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has landed in a legal soup after claims of “sharbat jihad” purportedly against the popular summer drink, Hamdard’s Rooh Afza. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (April 22) rapped the Patanjali Ayurved founder’s remarks, calling them “indefensible”.

Ramdev made the controversial comments in a video while promoting Patanjali’s new Gulab Sharbat. His statement drew flak online, with several users coming to the defence of Rooh Afza.

But what did he say? What has the court ordered?

Let’s take a closer look.

Ramdev’s controversial ‘sharbat jihad’ remarks

Earlier this month, Ramdev’s video advertising Patanjali’s new drink went viral for all the wrong reasons. Without naming Hamdard’s popular drink, Rooh Afza, he claimed the firm uses its revenue from selling sharbat “for building masjids and madrasas.”

“There’s a company that gives you sharbat, but the money it earns is used to construct madrasas and mosques,” he said in the video.

“If you drink that sharbat, madrasas and mosques will be built. But if you drink this [referring to Patanjali’s Rose Sharbat], gurukuls will be built, Acharya Kulam will be developed, Patanjali University will expand, and the Bharatiya Shiksha Board will grow.”

Ramdev added, “Just like there is love jihad, this is also a kind of sharbat jihad. To protect yourself from this sharbat jihad, this message must reach everyone.”

He further compared other soft drinks to “toilet cleaners” that people have to quench their thirst in summer. “Protect your family and innocent children from the poison of toilet cleaners being sold in the name of soft drinks and ‘sharbat Jihad’,” the caption of the video reportedly read.

The clip went viral on social media, prompting Hamdard to approach the court.

Delhi HC pulls up Ramdev’s Patanjali

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered Patanjali to immediately take down all its advertisements allegedly targeting Rooh Afza as “sharbat jihad.”

Hearing Hamdard’s trademark disparagement suit against Patanjali, Justice Amit Bansal said in an oral observation that Ramdev ’s remarks “shock the conscience of the court”.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears,” the judge said of the controversial videos.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Hamdard, argued that this was a “shocking case”, which went beyond “disparagement”.

“This is a case of creating communal divide, akin to hate speech. It will not have protection from law of defamation,” Rohatgi said, as per a Bar and Bench report.

After the Delhi High Court warned of a strong order, Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar, appearing on behalf of Patanjali and Ramdev, promised to pull down advertisements in print format and videos.

“I have advised. We are pulling down the videos,” Nayar said. He also asked the court to record in its order that Ramdev and his company are not against any religion.

The court then directed Ramdev to file an affidavit within five days, promising he will not issue remarks, advertisements or social media posts in future related to competitors’ products, reported PTI. 

Nayar argued that Ramdev cannot be stopped from expressing his political views. “He can hold these opinions in his head, need not express them,” the court retorted.

The single judge posted the matter for hearing on May 1.

Last week, Ramdev defended his objectionable remarks, saying he did not name any brand.
“I haven’t taken anybody’s name, but the Rooh Afza people took ‘sharbat jihad’ on themselves… this means they are doing this ‘jihad’,” Ramdev claimed.

“If they are dedicated to Islam and are building masjids and madrasas, then they should be happy. However, the Sanatanis should understand… If someone has a problem with this, then let it be," he added.

When Supreme Court (temporarily) banned Patanjali ads

Hamdard’s lawyer also referred to the Supreme Court coming down heavily on Ramdev previously for targeting allopathy.

In February 2024, the apex court temporarily banned Patanjali Ayurved’s advertisements on medicines, criticising the company for “misleading and false” ads claiming to cure different diseases.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had filed a case in 2022, accusing Patanjali of carrying out a smear campaign against modern medicine and COVID-19 vaccination.

After a strong rebuke from the top court, Ramdev and his aide Balkrishna had to issue public apologies.

With inputs from agencies