Delhi HC warns Ramdev of contempt proceedings for new video targeting Rooh Afza

The Delhi High Court on Thursday warned Patanjali Ayurved founder Ramdev of contempt proceedings for publishing a new video allegedly targeting food company Hamdard, Bar and Bench reported.

The High Court had on April 22 ordered Ramdev to take down advertisements in which he claimed that Hamdard’s drink Rooh Afza was being used to orchestrate “sharbat jihad”.

On Thursday, the bench of Amit Bansal was informed that Ramdev had published another video with allegedly communal remarks about Hamdard.

The bench said it would issue a contempt of court notice to Ramdev and summon him. The yoga instructor “lives in his own world” and was not “in anyone’s control”, Live Law quoted Bansal as saying.

Ramdev’s counsel agreed to remove the objectionable portions of the new video from social media within 24 hours.

On April 22, the High Court said that the comment by Ramdev about Hamdard was “indefensible”.

While advertising for a Patanjali product on April 3, Ramdev, without naming Hamdard, claimed that proceeds from the sale of a drink by the company were used to construct mosques. He described this as “sharbat jihad”.

Hamdard had moved the court seeking the removal of the video.

Ramdev had defended his remark, saying that he had not named any company, reported The Times of India.

“I haven’t taken anybody’s name, but the Rooh Afza people took ‘sharbat jihad’ on themselves, this means they are...

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