The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed plea of Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Dr. J.A. Jayalal challenging an order of a local court here asking him to not use the platform of IMA for propagating any religion.
The local court had passed its order on a complaint by Rohit Jha, who claimed to be “hurt by the malicious and defamatory campaign started by defendant [Mr. Jayalal] against a particular religion i.e. Hindu religion by way of promoting Christian religion in India in the garb of proving superiority of allopathic medicines over ayurveda medicines in treatment of COVID patients”.
Mr. Jha had alleged that an article on March 30, 2020 published in Nation World News read with TV debate of Mr. Jayalal with Baba Ramdev on various TV news channels on May 2021 have seriously disparaged and denigrated his “reputation in the society being a Hindu”.
Mr. Jha said that Mr, Jayalal through his article and subsequent “raising the issue of “allopathic vs. ayurveda” has deliberately attempted to defame the Hindu religion. Additionally, Mr. Jha had alleged that Mr. Jayalal in order to convert the Hindus of India to Christian religion, is taking the umbrage of IMA and is misusing his position as president of IMA.
In his complaint, the trial court had said: “It is expected from him [Mr. Jayalal] that he will not give any such occasion so that people may believe otherwise or indulge in any activity contrary to the principles enshrined in the Constitution and shall maintain the dignity of position chaired by him.”
Mr. Jayalal had challenged the observations made against him in the local court’s order saying they were affecting his reputation as he was heading a body, which has 3.5 lakh doctors as its members. He contended that he was not propagating any religion including Christianity and that the suit before the trial court was based on fake news.
