Sami Ahmad
NEW DELHI—The Rajasthan unit of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) and Rajasthan State Commission for Minorities have demanded action against Yoga-guru-turned corporate magnate Baba Ramdev for his hate speech against Muslims and Christians.
JIH national vice-president Prof Mohammed Salim Engineer, while responding to questions at a press conference in New Delhi, described Ramdev’s statements as “unfortunate, disappointing, irresponsible and below the dignity of a religious leader”. He also demanded legal action against Ramdev, who is the owner of Patanjali, a Rs. 30,000 crore company.
Ramdev known for his controversial statements against women in the past, made the offending speech against the two biggest minorities at a function in Dharampur Mandir of Barmer, about 520 km Jaipur.
Social media users tagged Rajasthan police and state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to book Ramdev under stringent provisions of the law. Many suggested that as Ramdev’s company is doing badly, he is indulging in such rants.
As baba Ramdev is considered to be close to BJP and particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his hate speech is interpreted to be intended for communal polarisation in the state as assembly elections are due in the state in December this year. As PM Modi has failed to deliver and fulfil the promises he made during elections, political analysts feel that as BJP has nothing to show to the people to claim their votes, its leaders and supporters are trying to raise communal issues to polarise the Hindu majority votes in favour of the BJP.
Rajasthan State Commission for Minorities chairman Rafeeq Khan alleged that Ramdev was in Rajasthan under a conspiracy. He is quoted to have said, “Baba Ramdev is a Yoga Guru. With Centre’s blessings, his companies are making progress, so he was sent here to fan communalism.”
The Rajasthan unit of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) has demanded that Yoga practitioner Ramdev be booked for spreading communal hatred.
JIH state president Mohammad Nazimuddin condemned Ramdev’s hate speech against Muslim and Christian communities that he delivered in a programme in Dharmpuri Mandir of Barmer, 520 km from Jaipur.
Ramdev had said that for the Muslims the only thing to do was offer Namaz and then indulge in any sin including the kidnapping of Hindu girls. Similarly, Ramdev spat venom against the Christian community. He said that Christians though their sins would be washed away by just lighting a candle.
Mr. Nazimuddin suggested that Baba Ramdev should first study Islam, Muslims and Namaz. “If he raised any doubt after getting proper knowledge about these things in a logical way, his misunderstanding could be addressed”, said the JIH state chief. He termed Ramdev’s speech totally hateful and fabricated.
JIH state chief pointed out that some people, considered to be religious leaders (sant or dharmguru), indulged in spitting venom against Muslims and other minorities as if that was their duty which caused communal hatred. “It weakens the secular fabric of the country”, he commented.
Stating that Baba Ramdev is a Yoga guru, the Rajasthan JIH leader said that Ramdev should give up his communal mindset and have a respectful attitude towards all the citizens and the followers of all religions.
In a video circulating on social media and also reported by some newspapers, Ramdev is heard saying, “I am not criticising anyone but people are obsessed only with this. Some people talk about converting the entire world to Islam and others want to convert the world to Christianity.”
Ramdev even accused Muslims of resorting to terror and abducting Hindu women while comparing Hinduism to Islam and Christianity. He also mocked the Muslims for trimming their moustache and wearing a skull cap.
Earlier he had to apologise for saying that women could look good in anything, saree, salwar kameez or “even when they wear nothing” at an event with state deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s wife Amruta Fadnavis. Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) issued had him a notice for his remark.
It is interesting to note that Rajasthan is scheduled to go for the Assembly election at the end of the year and such controversial statements are being delivered there. For the Congress government, it is a challenge to act against Ramdev as it will be used to further communal polarization.
The day Ramdev delivered this hate speech in Rajasthan, an important functionary of RSS, Dattatreya Hosabale was also speaking on ‘RSS: Kal, Aaj aur Kal’ at a gathering in Jaipur.
Mr. Hosabale said that even those who have eaten beef are welcome back in Hinduism.
Reacting to Ramdev’s hate speech a large number of social media users demanded legal action against him. There are others who suggested that Muslims need to focus on spreading the teachings of Islam in a more organized way.
However, there is a section of Muslims who suppose that Ramdev’s speech is nothing but an attempt to get attention. They think that it is one of the ways to divert attention from the real issue like the Adani scandal and the BBC documentary on Gujarat’s anti-Muslim riots of 2002. A section suggests that Muslims should ignore such hate speech.
