Today, On 9th May, Delhi High Court disposed of the case against Baba Ramdev over his ‘Sharbat Jihad’ remark after being informed that Patanjali had removed the controversial videos and assured no such statements would be made again.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court concluded a lawsuit filed by Hamdard Foundation concerning hate speech made by Patanjali founder Baba Ramdev in videos that targeted the pharmaceutical and food company.
The Court had previously instructed Ramdev to submit an affidavit affirming that he would refrain from issuing any statements or disparaging videos/advertisements containing hate speech against competitor companies.
Justice Amit Bansal was informed that Ramdev and Patanjali had removed the objectionable videos, as previously agreed.
In light of this, the Court issued the following order,
“Pursuant to the order passed in the suit, affidavits have been filed on behalf of the defendants binding them to the averments made in it. Counsel for the plaintiff does not press for more reliefs. The present suit is decreed.”
Ramdev made the controversial remarks on April 3 while promoting his company’s Gulab Sharbat. In a video, he targeted Hamdard’s Rooh Afza, alleging that Hamdard was using its funds to construct masjids and madrasas. Ramdev also used the term “sharbat jihad” in his video.
When the case was initially heard on April 22, Justice Bansal criticized Ramdev for the videos, stating that Ramdev’s remarks were indefensible and shocked the court’s conscience.
Also Read: Baba Ramdev to Take Down Rooh Afza Videos After High Court Slams ‘Sharbat Jihad’ Remark
The judge commented on April 22,
“I could not believe my eyes and ears when I saw this [videos],”
After the Court indicated a strong response, counsel for Patanjali and Ramdev assured the Court that the advertisements, in both print and video formats, would be removed.
The Court then ordered Ramdev to file an affidavit guaranteeing that he would not issue such statements, advertisements, or social media posts in the future.
However, on May 1, the Court was informed that Ramdev had uploaded a new video targeting Hamdard once again.
The Court strongly objected to Ramdev’s behavior and stated that it would issue a contempt of court notice and summon him to appear in court.
Following the Court’s critical observations, Ramdev’s counsel agreed to remove the objectionable portions from that video within 24 hours across all social media platforms.
Senior Advocates AS Chandhiok and Sandeep Sethi, along with Advocates Pravin Anand, Dhruv Anand, Nikhil Rohatgi, Udita Patro, Shivender Singh Pratap, Dhananjay Khanna, Nimrat Singh, Sampurnaa Sanyal, Navdeep, and Mehak Khanna, represented Hamdard.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar represented Ramdev and Patanjali.
Case Title: Hamdard National Foundation India v. Patanjali Foods Limited & Anr
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