Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Saturday demanded that the Health Ministry take strong action against yoga guru Ramdev for allegedly misleading the public through his statements. In a statement, the Association said that Ramdev should be prosecuted under the Epidemic Diseases Act as “untutored” statements are “a threat to the literate society of the country as well as to the poor people falling prey to him.”
“Ramdev deserves to be prosecuted for causing danger to the lives of many by making them believe not to take the advice of allopathy doctors. If the Health Minister Harsh Vardhan is not taking suo moto action, we will be forced to resort to democratic means of struggle to propagate the truth to the common man and knock on the doors of the judiciary to get justice,” the Association noted.
Stating that Ramdev is creating fear and frustration among the public, the IMA said that taking people for ransom and winning business by defaming scientific medicine are unpardonable offences.
The Association, citing a video circulating on social media, said Ramdev is seen saying that “ allopathy ek aisi stupid aur diwalilya science hai … (allopathy is such a stupid science)”. The Yoga guru also says “lakhs of people have died after taking allopathic medicines”, the Association said, adding that Ramdev claimed Remdesivir, Faviflu, and all other drugs, which were approved by the Drugs Controller General of India, have failed in treatment of COVID-19 patients.
It alleged that Ramdev is trying to take advantage of the situation and is creating a sense of fear and frustration among the people at large.