No more 'sharbat jihad': Ramdev promises Delhi HC, case closed

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday closed a defamation case filed by Hamdard National Foundation India against Yoga guru Ramdev and Patanjali Foods Ltd, following an affidavit in which Ramdev assured the court that no further disparaging statements would be made against Hamdard’s product Rooh Afza.

Justice Amit Bansal accepted the undertakings given by Ramdev and Patanjali, noting that the contents of their affidavits would be binding upon them. Accordingly, the court decreed the suit in favour of the plaintiff, Hamdard National Foundation India, bringing an end to the current legal proceedings.

The case was initiated after Ramdev, while promoting Patanjali’s “gulab sharbat”, allegedly claimed that the profits from Hamdard’s Rooh Afza were used to fund madrasas and mosques. The court earlier directed Ramdev and Patanjali to file affidavits stating they would refrain from making any similar public remarks in future and to take down any existing online content that was the subject of the dispute.

The term “sharbat jihad”, reportedly used by Ramdev, was described by the court in an earlier hearing as indefensible and alarming, leading to a warning of contempt action. In response, Ramdev’s legal team assured the court that objectionable content, including videos and social media posts, would be removed. Hamdard’s legal counsel had earlier argued that the defendants made videos private instead of removing them entirely, as previously ordered.

The High Court’s decision follows the submission of a revised affidavit after the court expressed dissatisfaction with the initial compliance. The court has now recorded Ramdev’s commitment to refrain from further remarks and accepted his assurance of full compliance with its directives.

This case comes amid several other legal challenges involving Ramdev and Patanjali, including a high-profile contempt case in the Supreme Court over misleading advertisements for medicinal products. However, the present case has been concluded based on the undertaking provided in the context of this specific matter involving Rooh Afza.