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Yoga guru and Patanjali Ayurved founder Baba Ramdev is facing renewed legal trouble after the Delhi High Court sharply criticized his recent “sherbet jihad” comment. The court described the remark as “indefensible” and said it “shocks the conscience of the court.”
The observation came during a hearing of a suit filed by Hamdard Laboratories, the manufacturer of the iconic drink Rooh Afza, who sought legal action against Ramdev for his promotional content targeting rival brands. According to Live Law, Justice Amit Bansal made the critical remark while reviewing the case.
Earlier this month, Ramdev featured in a promotional video for Patanjali’s rose-flavored sherbet. In the video, without naming any specific company, he said:
“A company uses money earned from selling sherbet to build mosques and madrasas. If you drink that sherbet, mosques and madrasas will be built. But if you drink Patanjali rose sherbet, gurukuls and Patanjali university will be built. Like love jihad and vote jihad, a sherbet jihad is also on.”
Though Ramdev later clarified that he did not mention any specific brand, the video drew widespread criticism and was seen as indirectly targeting Rooh Afza. In response, Hamdard moved the Delhi High Court, demanding that the video be taken down from all social media platforms.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Hamdard, said the case went beyond product disparagement and amounted to hate speech that risked deepening communal divides. “This is not just about Rooh Afza. It’s a shocking, targeted attack,” Rohatgi said. He pointed out that Ramdev’s Patanjali, being a powerful brand, does not need to promote itself by attacking competitors.
Rohatgi also highlighted Ramdev’s previous legal entanglements—ironically, cases where he had represented Ramdev himself. These included proceedings in the Supreme Court over misleading claims related to Patanjali’s controversial COVID-19 drug, Coronil, launched in 2021. Ramdev had claimed it was the “first evidence-based medicine” for COVID, allegedly with WHO backing. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had called the claim false and misleading.
In 2022, the IMA again took Patanjali to court after a newspaper advertisement from the company claimed that its products could cure a range of conditions—including diabetes, liver cirrhosis, asthma, and arthritis. The Supreme Court later rebuked Patanjali’s leadership and demanded public apologies for spreading unverified medical claims.
Back in the Delhi High Court today, Ramdev’s legal team was caught off guard. A proxy counsel appeared and sought a passover, saying the main counsel was unavailable. However, Justice Bansal refused to delay proceedings and warned that failure to appear by noon could result in a “very strong order.”
The court is expected to take further action once the main counsel is present. Meanwhile, Hamdard continues to press for the removal of Ramdev’s video from all digital platforms, citing reputational harm and the potential to incite communal tensions.
