Baba Ramdev Stokes Row With ‘Sharbat Jihad’ Remark In Viral Video, Promotes Patanjali Alternative | WATCH

Yoga guru Ramdev has sparked fresh controversy after using the term "sharbat jihad" in a viral video, in which he alleged that a company selling sharbat is using its profits to construct mosques and madrasas, all while promoting Patanjali's rose sharbat.

The video was shared by a page titled 'Patanjali Products' on Facebook, accompanied by a Hindi caption that, when translated, read: "Protect your family and innocent children from the poison of toilet cleaner being sold under the name of 'sharbat jihad' and cold drinks. Bring home only Patanjali sharbat and juices."

Photo Credit: PTI

In the footage, Ramdev launches into a criticism of soft drinks, likening them to toilet cleaner, saying they are consumed under the guise of quenching thirst during the summer. He refers to this as an "attack" and equates it with poison.

"In the name of quenching thirst during summers, people drink cold beverages that are basically toilet cleaners. On one side, there's the attack of toilet-cleaner-like poison, and on the other, there's a company selling sharbat, which uses the money earned from it to build mosques and madrasas. That's fine, it's their religion," Ramdev says in the video.

He goes on to suggest that purchasing that company's sharbat - seemingly referring to Hamdard's Rooh Afza - indirectly funds religious institutions, while opting for Patanjali's rose sharbat, according to him, supports gurukuls, Acharyakulam, Patanjali University, and the Bharatiya Shiksha Board.

Ramdev coins the term "sharbat jihad", drawing a comparison with "love jihad" and "vote jihad", and urges the public to guard against it.

"But if you drink that sharbat, it supports the construction of mosques and madrasas. On the other hand, if you drink Patanjali's rose sharbat, it supports the setting up of gurukuls, Acharyakulam, Patanjali University, and the Bharatiya Shiksha Board. That's why I say, just like there is love jihad and vote jihad, there is also sharbat jihad. So, you must protect yourself from this sharbat jihad," he adds.

The video, which has garnered over 37 million views on Facebook, has sparked a range of reactions. One user commented, "His business is slowing down, that's why he has launched a new product."

Previously, Ramdev found himself at the centre of controversy when the Supreme Court ordered him to apologise for making false claims that Patanjali products could "cure" serious illnesses.

His remarks on "sharbat jihad" have drawn widespread criticism on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), with some users mocking the idea of yet another "jihad" being introduced. One user quipped, "Which direction is the country moving in? Lala ji comes up with Sharbat Jihaad now."