IMA Files Police Complaint Against Ramdev Amid Ongoing Tussle

The IMA’s complaint comes a day after a video of the yoga guru claiming “nobody’s father can arrest me” went viral.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) filed a police complaint against yoga guru Ramdev at the IP Estate police station on Thursday, 27 May.

(Photo: PTI)

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) filed a police complaint against yoga guru Ramdev at the IP Estate police station on Thursday, 27 May.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the group of medical professionals has asked for an FIR against Ramdev on the charges of misrepresentation of allopathy and the spreading of wrongful information, under the Epidemic Diseases Act, the Disaster Management Act, and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code.

“It is stated that the accused being a businessman, in order to take advantage of the present situation and his large public following, is wilfully and deliberately advancing dishonest representations…about allopathy and modern medicine," the IMA said in its complaint to the police as per the report, adding that Ramdev's actions are intended to promote unapproved and dubious medicines produced by his company.

This complaint comes amid the ongoing tussle between Ramdev and IMA over the the former’s misinformed remarks on modern medicine.

The IMA’s complaint also comes a day after a video clip of the yoga guru claiming “nobody’s father can arrest me” went viral on social media.

The Ongoing Feud Between IMA and Ramdev

Reading from his mobile in a video that went viral last week, Ramdev could be heard saying, “Allopathy is such a stupid science that first chloroquine failed; then Remdesivir failed; then anti-biotics failed; then steroids failed; then plasma therapy was banned.” He further claimed that “lakhs had died after taking allopathy medicines.”

Following the alleged claims, the IMA urged the Health Ministry to take action against the yoga proponent, for spreading malicious misinformation against modern medicine and the treatment protocol recommended by government.

The Health Minister, Harsh Vardhan, then wrote to Ramdev on 23 May asking him to withdraw his statement which had "disrespected COVID warriors and hurt the sentiments of the country."

Following the letter from the Union Minister, Ramdev officially retracted his statement and asserted that he meant to display no ill will to doctors or modern medicine.

On 24 May the controversy flared up again, after Ramdev wrote an open letter addressed to the IMA, challenging them to answer 25 questions on allopathy posed in the letter.

Soon after, the IMA served the Patanjali founder a defamation notice, demanding that he issue an apology to the medical fraternity within 15 days or a pay a Rs 1,000 crore fine.

Further, the IMA wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 May, demanding that sedition charges be levelled against Baba Ramdev for his comments against allopathic treatments of COVID-19, asserting that his claims were “deliberate efforts to stall the efforts of vaccination”.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times.)