Baba Ramdev ’crossed red line’ with false COVID cure claims, people believed him: IMA chief on confronting Patanjali

Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr RV Asokan on Monday said yoga guru Baba Ramdev crossed a red line when he claimed that he could cure COVID-19 and at the same time maligned modern medicine. In an interview with news agency PTI, Asokan said Ramdev went against the medical profession by saying "modern medicine is a stupid and bankrupt science".

"He went against the national interest when the government was driving the vaccination programme. He said 20,000 doctors died after taking two doses of the COVID vaccine. And he was having such a high profile that, you know, people believed what he said. That was the unfortunate part of it," Asokan was quoted as saying.

Why IMA sued Ramdev's Patanjali

When asked what made the IMA take on Ramdev despite him being a big name and politically connected, Asokan said, "He crossed a red line."

"We have been tolerating mediocracy in this country for too long. Our profession also has been tolerating this and we never wanted to prove anything to anyone. He crossed a line when he advertised about Coronil (a Patanjali tablet) and said the WHO had approved it, which was a wrong statement," Asokan said.

"Our leadership thought he has to be challenged. It was in 2022 and we had to channelise it through the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. What has happened in the Supreme Court is two-three years of hard work," he said.

'IMA not against traditional systems of medicine'

Asokan said the IMA is not against traditional systems of medicine. "We have lived with them all these decades. We respect each other. But somehow, some sections of society thought we were anti-traditional systems and, as for the public apology, it was to the Supreme Court. And it's more about the contempt of the court than the substance of the thing," he added.

Is IMA now satisfied with SC's take on Patanjali?

Asokan said the court has not said its final verdict. "We need to wait. Whether we are satisfied or not will depend on the verdict. It's not about the apology that he has given, it is for the court to tell us whether he crossed the line by abusing modern medicine," he stated.

According to Asokan, the IMA is constantly briefing its members on the ethics and principles and the way to change. "Ethics after all changes with time and space. Today what you perceive as right may not be right after 10 years. So this is a constant process and we keep on doing that," he was quoted as saying.

IMA vs Patanjali

The Supreme Court recently heard the IMA's 2022 plea alleging a smear campaign against the COVID vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine. The court had asked Ramdev, his aide Acharya Balakrishna and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd last month to issue a public apology for not following its orders on misleading ads. 

During a hearing on April 23, the court also came down heavily on the petitioner, the Indian Medical Association, stating that its members also engage in recommending unnecessary and expensive medicines. It pointed out several complaints alleging unethical conduct of the IMA.

The matter related to the apology published by Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna will be considered on April 30.

What Ramdev had claimed?

In a video, Ramdev, in 2021, was allegedly heard saying, "Allopathy is a stupid science and medicines such as Remdesivir, Fabiflu, and other drugs approved by the Drugs Controller General of India have failed to treat COVID-19 patients." His remarks caused massive outrage and the IMA sent a legal notice to him. 

The complaint had said there are several videos of Ramdev on social media in which he had allegedly made such misleading remarks, news agency ANI reported.

Ramdev was later booked under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and other provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005.