SC slams Baba Ramdev for statements against allopathy

The bench comprising CJI NV Ramana, Justice Hima Kohli, and Justice CT Ravikumar was hearing the plea filed by the Indian Medical Association through advocate Amarjeet Singh alleging a smear campaign against the COVID 19 vaccination drive and modern medicine.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up Baba Ramdev for criticizing the allopathic doctors and directed him to restrain from making any such statement. Raising doubts about the authenticity of his Yoga remedies, the court questioned his authority for making such kinds of statements.

"We all respect him, he popularized yoga. But he shouldn't criticize other systems. What is the guarantee that his system will work? He can not refute the medical system. He must refrain from accusing other systems," observed CJI NV Ramana.

The bench comprising the CJI, Justice Hima Kohli, and Justice CT Ravikumar was hearing the plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) through Advocate-on-Record Amarjeet Singh alleging a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine. The petitioner also alleged that many misleading ads for Ayurveda claiming a guaranteed cure for the virus were run by Ramdev Baba and his patent brand Patanjali.

Advocate Prabhas Bajaj, appearing for IMA, submitted before the court that 804 misleading advertisements of Ayurveda have been run since the pandemic hit the nation, and the ministry of Ayush is well aware of it. He argued that the ministry has even signed an MoU for monitoring misleading ads, while questions regarding the same have been raised before the Parliament as well.

CJI, taking note of these submissions, reiterated its doubts about the guarantee that Ayurveda will prevent all diseases. As the hearing concluded, the court proceeded to issue notice to the Central government in the matter.