Yoga guru Ramdev slapped with Rs10 billion defamation notice by IMA
IMA has served a defamation notice on him for alleged disparaging remarks
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand division of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sent Rs 1,000 crores defamation notice to yoga guru Ramdev for his recent statements on allopathy doctors and medicine.
In the notice, IMA said if the yoga guru does not post a video countering the statements given by him and tender a written apology within the next 15 days, then a sum of Rs 1,000 crores will be demanded from him.
IMA Uttarakhand unit President Dr Ajay Khanna said Ramdev does not have sound knowledge and is engaging in rhetorics.
"I am ready for face-to-face with Baba Ramdev. Ramdev does not have a lot of knowledge about allopathy, despite that he is against allopathy and the doctors associated with it. He is making rhetorical statements," said Dr Khanna.
The IMA Uttarakhand unit president added that Ramdev's rhetoric has reduced the morale of doctors working day and night in the fight against COVID, and added, "Ramdev is constantly lying to sell his medicines."
On Sunday, Ramdev withdrew his statements on allopathic medicine after receiving a strong-worded letter from Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who called his remarks "inappropriate".
"We do not oppose modern medical science and allopathy. We believe that allopathy has shown immense progress in surgery and the lifesaving system and served humanity. My statement has been quoted as part of a WhatsApp message that I was reading during a meeting of volunteers. I am sorry if it has hurt anyone's sentiment," wrote Ramdev in his letter to the Union Health Minister in Hindi.
The IMA on Saturday had sent a legal notice to the yoga guru over his alleged statements against allopathy and "defaming" scientific medicine. However, the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust has denied allegations by the IMA that Ramdev has misled people by making "unlearned" statements against allopathy and defamed scientific medicine.
According to a Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust statement, Yog Guru Ramdev was reading out a WhatsApp forwarded message in the video that has gone viral on social media.