Digvijaya seeks FIR for Ramdev's sharbat jihad remark

Tue, 15 April 2025

19:04

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday approached police for registration of an FIR against Yoga guru Ramdev, accusing him of spreading religious hatred through his purported statement on "sharbat jihad".

A police officer said the complaint submitted by Singh will be investigated. Singh, the Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh, approached TT Nagar police station in Bhopal, demanding that a case be registered under sections 196 (1) (a) and 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.

Section 196 prohibits promoting enmity between groups based on religion, race, language, or region, while section 299 addresses deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens.

Singh flagged a video purportedly released through Ramdev's X account, which he alleged was aimed at inciting religious sentiments among people to increase the sales of Patanjali Ayurved's products.

Singh stated that Ramdev while marketing Patanjali's Gulab Sharbat, had claimed that a company selling sharbat uses the income for building madrasas and mosques.

He alleged that Ramdev had dubbed it "sharbat jihad" while promoting a similar product of Patanjali.

"This statement of Ramdev is hurtful to religious sentiments and is full of animosity and has an adverse effect on religious sentiments and is a punishable offence under Section 196 (1) (a), 299 of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023 and various sections of the IT Act," Singh, a former chief minister, stated. -- PTI

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