The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev over his remarks against allopathy and allopathic doctors regarding the treatment of Covid-19.
Justice C. Hari Shankar passed the order on a petition moved by Advocate Harshvardhan Kotla on behalf of seven Doctors associations, alleging that Baba Ramdev was spreading misinformation through his statements against allopathy.
The petitioners include three Resident Doctors’ Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Rishikesh, Patna and Bhubaneshwar; Association of Resident Doctors, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh; Union of Resident Doctors of Punjab (URDP); Resident Doctors’ Association, Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College, Meerut; and Telangana Junior Doctors’ Association, Hyderabad.
The plea alleged that Baba Ramdev was misleading the public at large through his remarks, saying that allopathy was responsible for the deaths of several people infected by Novel Coronavirus, and that the allopathic doctors were causing deaths of people.
The petition further alleged that Baba Ramdev was creating doubts in the minds of general public regarding the safety and efficacy of allopathic treatments, as well as the Covid-19 vaccines. The plea stated that since Baba Ramdev is a highly influential person, the statements made by him could influence the general public at large and thereby divert them from adopting allopathic treatments, which are prescribed as the standard form of care even by the Government.
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The plea alleged that misinformation spread by Baba Ramdev was an advertisement and marketing strategy to make commercial profits from the sale of products manufactured by him, including Coronil, which he claims to be an alternative treatment for Covid-19.
The court, on a previous occasion, had asked the associations to place on record the video clips pertaining to the alleged misinformation. Following the alleged remarks, multiple complaints have been lodged against Baba Ramdev by various medical associations. The matter is slated for further hearing on August 10.