New Delhi : The Delhi High Court has directed Patanjali Ayurved and its co-founder Baba Ramdev to take down a recent promotional video that allegedly targets the popular summer drink Rooh Afza, produced by Hamdard Laboratories. The court also warned Ramdev of possible contempt proceedings due to repeated violations of its earlier order.
The latest directive came after Hamdard approached the court, claiming that Patanjali had uploaded a new video on April 3 via its official Facebook page, reviving communal undertones similar to a previously removed video. In this video, Ramdev reportedly compared soft drinks to “toilet cleaners” and insinuated that profits from a certain sharbat were being used to fund mosques, madrasas, and Islamic institutions—remarks widely seen as targeting Hamdard.
The earlier video, deemed “indefensible” and shocking by the court, had been removed on April 22 after judicial intervention. Despite assurances, Hamdard’s legal counsel, Senior Advocate Sandeep Sethi, informed the court that the new video carried the same communal narrative, accusing Hamdard of operating with a religious agenda based on its community identity.
Ramdev’s counsel Rajiv Nayar argued that the video did not violate any court order and contained no direct mention of Hamdard. However, Justice Amit Bansal dismissed the defense, remarking that the tone and message were identical to the earlier video and stated, “Ramdev lives in his own world and is not in anyone’s control.”
The court ordered Patanjali to remove the new video within 24 hours and submit an affidavit of compliance within a week.
This case highlights the judiciary’s commitment to curbing communal messaging in advertising and ensuring that commercial platforms do not become avenues for misinformation and division.
