New Delhi: Self-styled Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has come under sharp criticism from Opposition parties over his controversial remarks that Muslims and Christians have nothing to fear in India and that the ancestors of all Indians were Sanatan Hindu Arya-Vedic followers. He also asserted that there was no reason to fear the idea of a Hindu Rashtra.
Ramdev made the remarks while recalling an interaction during his 2009 visit to Deoband near Haridwar. Referring to concerns over a Hindu Rashtra, he wanted Muslims and Christians to follow the legacy of their ancestors.
The comments triggered strong reactions from the Congress, Samajwadi Party and AIMIM. Congress leader Salman Khurshid questioned why those claiming that everyone belongs to Sanatan traditions were simultaneously fostering divisions in society. AIMIM leader Waris Pathan reminded that India functions according to the Constitution and has not been declared a Hindu Rashtra. Samajwadi Party leader Fakhrul Hasan Chand alleged that such statements formed part of the BJP's strategy to divert public attention from the country's real issues.
Lucknow Eidgah Imam Maulana Khalid Rasheed Firangi Mahali said Muslims fear no one while remaining devoted to Allah and urged people to respect one another and avoid religious polarisation. He also expressed concern over government actions such as the dissolution of the Uttarakhand Madrasa Board and the demolition of mosques, saying they had created anxiety within the community.
The controversy is not the first involving Ramdev. He had earlier faced severe criticism from the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court over misleading advertisements related to Patanjali products. The issue drew widespread attention after courts found repeated violations despite strict directions against misleading advertisements.