"Can affect foreign relations:" Delhi High Court expresses concerns about Baba Ramdev's statements on Joe Biden, COVID vaccination

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday expressed concerns about Baba Ramdev’s statements questioning the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccine and highlighting how US President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 despite taking Covid vaccine [Resident Doctors Association, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rishikesh and Ors v. Ram Kishan Yadav Alias Swami Ramdev and Ors]..Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said that such statements can affect our country’s relations with other nations besides also bringing bad repute to Ayurveda. The single-judge said that the good name of Ayurveda should not be destroyed as it is an ancient and respected system of medicine.“One, I am concerned about the good name of ayurveda not being destroyed. It is a recognised, respected and ancient system of medicine. The second is that people are being named here. It can affect our country’s relations with other countries. World leaders are being named which will affect our good relations with them,” the judge remarked..This came after Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal informed the Court that on August 4, Ramdev made a statement in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar that the US President tested positive for Covid for the third time despite vaccination.In the video, Ramdev goes on to state that the fact that Biden tested positive shows the failure of medical science which is not even 200 years old and has only been destroying the world (tabahi macha rakhi hai duniya me) for the last 50 years.“They are still in infancy. I don’t want to criticise kids. Medical science is not even 200 years old. They have only been destroying the world for 50 years,” Ramdev could be heard saying in the video..The Court was dealing with a a petition filed by doctors alleging public nuisance and misrepresentation by Ramdev for making statements against allopathic medicine and doctors while promoting his own tablet Coronil.During the last hearing, Justice Bhambhani had given both parties time to resolve the issue and asked Patanjali and Ramdev to come up with a better clarification regarding their claims about Coronil..Today, Senior Advocate PV Kapur, appearing for Ramdev, told the court that they have come up with a proposed draft which addresses all the concerns of the plaintiff doctors. However, Sibal said that even the new clarification is misleading..As the two sides failed to come to an understanding, Sibal started his submissions and stated that the August 4 statement came from Ramdev despite the fact that the matter was going on in court and the two sides were trying to get to an amicable solution..He said that even today Patanjali’s website says that Coronil is a treatment for Coronavirus which is backed by research.“If they have to come clean and want to fairly withdraw what they have done, they need to do two things. They have to not only inform about the limited nature in which it can be used but also positively inform what it can’t be used for. They have to say it is not a cure, medicine or treatment. We have to tell the public that. Because at the moment they have been told a very different thing,” he submitted.Sibal added,“They have to say that it is not intended as a substitute in any manner. This is only a supporting measure. According to the license issue to them, it was always intended as a supporting measure for asymptomatic and mild cases. It is not a substitute measure. They have to tell the people that as an ‘add-on’ measure you can also take this Coronil.”.Kapur disputed the claims and stated that the statements made by Ramdev are prior to the last date of hearing. He submitted that they are already in process of removing the content from their website that tout Coronil as a cure for Covid.Sibal concluded his submissions today while Kapur will begin his arguments on Tuesday..The Court said that, if necessary, it will hold day to day hearings in the matter.."Seems like a pat on your own back:" Delhi High Court asks Baba Ramdev to come up with better clarification on Coronil