​On April 22, 2025, the Delhi High Court strongly criticized yoga guru Baba Ramdev for his controversial “sharbat jihad” remarks targeting Hamdard’s popular drink, Rooh Afza. Justice Amit Bansal stated that Ramdev’s comments “shocked the conscience of the court” and were “indefensible,” warning that a strong order would follow if corrective action wasn’t taken.​

Ramdev had alleged that purchasing Rooh Afza funded madrasas and mosques, contrasting it with Patanjali’s rose sharbat, which he claimed supported gurukuls and institutions like Patanjali University. He likened this to “love jihad,” terming it “sharbat jihad.” Hamdard responded by filing a legal petition, arguing that these statements amounted to hate speech and sought to create communal divisions .​

This incident adds to a series of controversies involving Ramdev and Patanjali. Previously, the Delhi High Court directed them to retract misleading claims about allopathy during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly promoting Patanjali’s Coronil as a cure . Additionally, Dabur filed a lawsuit against Patanjali over disparaging advertisements related to Chyawanprash, accusing them of misleading consumers and defaming competitors .​

The court is expected to reconvene on the matter soon, with potential orders to remove the contentious advertisements and further legal consequences if the issue remains unresolved.​

Sources