Yoga televangelist Ramdev on Friday defended his remarks in a promotional video for his company’s rose flavoured sherbet drink that left a bad taste in many a mouth.
"I haven't taken anybody's name, but Rooh Afza people took 'sherbet jihad' on themselves... this means they are doing this 'jihad'. If they are dedicated to Islam and are building masjids and madarsas, then they should be happy. However, the Sanatanis should understand... If someone has a problem with this, then let it be," Ramdev told PTI Videos.
His comment came after his ad sparked controversy online.
“...There is a sherbet company, it does give sherbet but from the money it gets from the sherbet it builds madarsas and mosques. It’s alright, it’s their religion, But if you drink that sherbet mosques and madarsahs will be built. But if you drink Patanjali’s rose sherbet gurukuls, acharyakulams, Patanjali universities, Indian education board will progress,” he said in Hindi in the video.
“That’s why I say,” he added. “Even this sherbet jihad, just like love jihad, vote jihad are on, this sherbet jihad is also on. If you have to be saved from this sherbet jihad…”
Then he proceeded to take a sip of the Patanjali sherbet and extol its virtues.
Journalist-turned Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Sagarika Ghose was among those who had flagged the Ramdev sales pitch as communal.
“Move over, love jihad, now we have “sherbet jihad” pushed by the businessman-Baba to divide people. And Baba Ramdev has been patronised by none other than the @narendramodi government. This is the communal poison that has been let loose in our society, all to distract from Modi Sarkar’s acute governance crisis,” she had posted on April 12.
Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed, a Unani physician born in 1883 in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, had created Rooh Afza in 1907.
After Hakeem Majeed’s died in 1922, his elder son, Hakeem Abdul Hameed, took charge of the Indian branch of Hamdard, while his younger son Hakeem Mohammad Saeed, who later migrated to Pakistan, started production in Karachi, according to a report.
Rooh Afza is currently made in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.