Baba Ramdev Agrees to Take Down ‘Sharbat-Jihad’ Videos After Delhi High Court Warning

Baba Ramdev Agrees to Take Down ‘Sharbat-Jihad’ Videos After Delhi High Court Warning

In a significant development, Patanjali founder Baba Ramdev has agreed to remove videos and advertisements in which he allegedly made communal and derogatory remarks targeting Hamdard's iconic drink Rooh Afza. The decision was announced during a hearing at the Delhi High Court on April 22, 2025.

The case was brought before the court after Hamdard National Foundation filed a suit against Patanjali and Baba Ramdev, accusing him of making inflammatory comments in a video released on April 3. In the video, Ramdev promoted Patanjali’s ‘Gulab Sharbat’ while criticizing Hamdard’s Rooh Afza, going as far as claiming that funds from Rooh Afza sales were being used to construct masjids and madrasas. He controversially used the term "Sharbat Jihad" in his statements.

High Court's Stern Observations

Justice Amit Bansal expressed strong disapproval over the content of the video. “I could not believe my eyes and ears,” the judge said, emphasizing that the remarks were shocking and indefensible. The Court warned of passing a harsh order if corrective action was not taken.

Following this, Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar appeared on behalf of Baba Ramdev and Patanjali and informed the Court that all related videos and advertisements would be taken down. “I have advised. We are pulling down the videos,” Nayar stated in court.

Court Orders Undertaking

Justice Bansal directed Ramdev to file an affidavit assuring the Court that he would refrain from making such remarks or publishing similar content in the future. “Take them down immediately,” the judge ordered.

Hamdard’s Legal Stand

Representing Hamdard, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi criticized the remarks made by Ramdev, calling them a deliberate attempt to incite communal tensions. He argued that the case went beyond mere product disparagement and fell into the realm of hate speech. “This is not defamation; this is hate speech that must be stopped,” Rohatgi asserted. He also reminded the court that Ramdev had previously faced censure from the Supreme Court for similar conduct in the context of his comments on allopathy.

Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, also representing Hamdard, insisted that Ramdev must be restrained from targeting the religious identity of Hamdard’s founders.

Patanjali’s Response

While Nayar agreed to the removal of the content, he requested the Court to note that neither Patanjali nor Ramdev held any ill will against any religion. The Court, in response, allowed the filing of an affidavit to that effect. Nayar also contended that while political opinions may be protected, making communal and disparaging statements against competitors crosses the line of acceptable conduct.

To this, Justice Bansal responded sharply, stating, “He can hold those opinions in his head, but need not express them publicly.”

The matter has been posted for the next hearing on May 1, 2025, and Baba Ramdev has been asked to file the required affidavit before then.

Legal Representation

Hamdard was represented by a strong legal team including Senior Advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Sandeep Sethi, along with Pravin Anand, Dhruv Anand, Nikhil Rohatgi, and others.