Ramdev-IMA tussle: Patanjali to give 'befitting reply' for defamation notice

New Delhi, May 28: In a recent development, Patanjali Yogpeeth has confirmed that it has received a defamation notice served by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), demanding an apology from Ramdev over remarks on allopathy, and said that it will give legally a "befitting reply".

In a statement from the Patanjali Yogpeeth quoting general secretary Acharya Balkrishna confirmed it and said, "We will give them befitting reply legally which way we do all things while serving our great motherland and humanity."

Meanwhile, the Haridwar-based organisation also said that it carries all the activities with "scientific and truthful temperament" and "cannot allow anyone to disparage, neglect and demean the great knowledge and science of rishis and scriptures".

The IMA, on Wednesday, served a six-page defamation notice on Ramdev for his alleged disparaging remarks against allopathy and allopathic doctors, demanding an apology from him within 15 days, failing which it said the association will demand compensation of Rs 1,000 crore.

The notice served on behalf of IMA (Uttarakhand) secretary Ajay Khanna by his lawyer Neeraj Pandey describes the remarks by Ramdev as damaging to the reputation and the image of allopathy and its practitioners.

The notice has also asked the yoga guru to make a video clip contradicting all his allegations and circulate it on social media platforms where he had uploaded his earlier video.

It further asked Ramdev to withdraw a "misleading" advertisement from all platforms endorsing "Coronil kit", a product of his firm, as an effective medicine for COVID-19, failing which an FIR and a criminal case will be lodged against him by the IMA.

On Sunday, Ramdev was forced to withdraw a statement made in a viral video clip in which he is heard questioning some of the medicines being used to treat the coronavirus infection and saying that "lakhs have died from taking allopathic medicines for COVID-19".