Islamophobic Remarks :
Ramkishen Yadav, sometimes referred to as Baba Ramdev, is a well-known Indian yoga master and business magnate. He is credited with spreading yoga’s popularity outside of India. He is the owner of the multi-billion dollar Patanjali Ayurvedic company.
Ramdev developed a “indigenous” brand, claiming to be a contrast to foreign MNCs squeezing profits from the Indian market, riding the wave of the BJP’s Hindu nationalism. He began by offering ayurvedic non-prescription drugs and cosmetics before gradually branching out to sell other items like “cow urines” and “sanskari ripped jeans.”
He used to be a little more understanding and moderate before Modi took office in 2014. In 2014, he ran an aggressive campaign in support of the BJP and Narendra Modi, earning the support of Modi and other BJP officials.
His company’s expansion after Modi smacks of crony capitalism.Ramdev’s company reportedly received more than an estimated $46 million in discounts for land purchases in states controlled by the BJP, according to a 2017 Reuters investigation report titled “As Modi and his right-wing Hindu base rise, so too does a celebrity yoga tycoon.” This information was gleaned from a review of state government documents, interviews with officials, and real estate estimates. It was given unrestricted access to other lands. The newly established Ministry of Aayush, the Government of India, and BJP officials have all given the business, Patanjali, a kind of official endorsement.
Revenues at his consumer goods enterprise soared – from about $156 million in the financial year ending March 2013 to more than $322 million in the year to March 2015, according to financial filings. In early May, Ramdev said revenues in the financial year just ended had jumped to about $1.6 billion.
According to Financial Express (17 September 2022), Company’s total turnover was 400 billion rupees, which it seeks to double within five years.
He competes in the market by simply deriding and hurling baseless allegations against other competitors while his own credentials as an expert on Ayurveda lie in serious doubt. He once called medical science ‘stupid,’ called the doctors ‘killers’, and went on to say ‘millions of people died due to allopathic medicines’.
He supports the myth of “love jihad” and is an advocate for cow protection. Although there are courts, he asserted in an interview that “Hindu girls should themselves do justice with those (Muslim boys) who are involved in Love jihad.”
He accused the Muslim organization Tablighi Jamaat, which promotes self-reflection among Muslims, of spreading the coronavirus and costing the Indian government money. He wrongly claimed that Tablighi Jamaat cherishes the aspiration to convert and Islamize everyone.
He brags that his powerful political connections are a big reason for his popularity, adding, “Modi-ji is a close friend, it’s not good form to praise yourself.” “I won’t say much,” he said, “but I laid the foundation for the significant political changes that took place (Modi won election in 2014).”
He delivered anti-Muslim and anti-Christian tirades in February 2023 during a gathering in Barmer, Rajasthan. He claimed, “Muslims offer namaz five times a day and then do whatever evil that comes to mind. They abduct Hindu girls, turn them into terrorists, and turn many of them into criminals. Even if they engage in several sins, our Muslim brothers nonetheless perform namaz as instructed.
He went on to compare it to Hinduism, saying that both urged their adherents to “do yoga, refrain from violence, rise early, and engage in kind deeds by worshiping God.” He made fun of Muslims’ attire by remarking, “For them, heaven is wearing pajamas over your ankles, shaving your beard, and wearing a cap. I’m not arguing that Islam or the Quran commands them to act in this way. But that’s the method that most people use.
In this matter, Ramdev has been the subject of a police report.