No more remarks against Hamdard's Rooh Afza, Yoga guru Ramdev assures Delhi HC amid 'Sharbat Jihad' row

'Sharbat Jihad' row: Yoga guru Ramdev has pledged before the Delhi High Court that he will not issue statements, make social media posts, disparaging videos or advertisements containing communal slurs in the future against Hamdard’s popular drink Rooh Afza.

Ramdev’s counsel Rajiv Nayyar submitted before a bench of Justice Amit Bansal that the undertaking would be filed in the court through an affidavit on May 2. Bansal is seeking the disposal of the case, according to legal news website LiveLaw.

The court has fixed May 9 as the next date of hearing in the case.

During the hearing on May 2, Hamdard’s counsel submitted that Ramdev, despite his assurance given on May 1, had not taken down the ‘Sharbat Jihad’ video but only made it private, which could be viewed by the subscribers. However Ramdev’s counsel submitted that the portions of the video would be taken down within 24 hours time granted by the court.

Ramdev not in control of anyone: HC

The Delhi High Court on May 1 said Ramdev was “not in control of anyone” and “lived in his own world” as it held him in prima facie contempt of its order over his ‘Sharbat Jihad’ remarks against Hamdard's Rooh Afza, news agency PTI reported.

The court had on April 22 ordered him not to issue any statements or share videos in the future about Hamdard's products. The order came after the Delhi court was informed that Ramdev published a video making objectionable statements despite the order, news agency PTI reported.

“Let an affidavit be also placed on record by both the defendant no.1 and defendant no.2 stating that defendants no.1 and 2 shall not issue any statements, social media posts or disparaging videos/advertisements in future similar to those which are subject matter of the present suit in respect of products of the competitors,” the HC court on April 22, according to legal news website Bar and Bench.

Justice Amit Bansal said, “In view of the last order, his affidavit as well as this video are prima facie in contempt. I will issue a contempt notice now. We are just calling him here.”

What is the 'Sharbat Jihad' Row?

Last month, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday slammed Patanjali Foods Ltd's owner Baba Ramdev for allegedly making communally-charged and disparaging remarks against the 119-year-old Hamdard National Foundation (India), the maker of Rooh Afza.

A single-judge bench of Justice Amit Bansal directed that a video featuring the yoga guru, wherein he allegedly made controversial references about Rooh Afza, targeting the drink as ‘Sharbat Jihad’, be taken down immediately.

The court’s remarks came while hearing a plea filed by Hamdard, which accused Ramdev and Patanjali of making communal slurs against the company.

In the April 3 video, Ramdev is seen promoting Patanjali’s ‘Gulab Sharbat’ while allegedly making indirect and communal remarks about Rooh Afza, suggesting that proceeds from its sales were used to fund “madrasas and mosques”.