Indian Medical Association (IMA) Vice President Dr Navjot Singh Dahiya has lodged a complaint against Baba Ramdev for his statements mocking COVID-19 patients who require oxygen support.
In a viral video where Baba Ramdev was seen mocking the patients, he had said that patients “just don’t know how to breathe properly” and are “spreading negativity” by complaining of shortage of oxygen.
Dahiya who had earlier made headlines for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘super spreader’ for holding election rallies during the pandemic, lodged the complaint against Ramdev on Saturday.
Demanding a high-level inquiry against Ramdev, Dahiya accused him of using defamatory and insulting language towards doctors. He said that a criminal case should be registered against Ramdev for creating panic regarding the treatment of COVID-19 patients and spreading propaganda.
Dahiya also demanded action against Acharya Balkrishna, the CEO of Patanjali Yogpreeth in Haridwar. In his complaint to the Jalandhar commissioner, he wrote: “Baba Ramdev’s video surfaced on the internet and on the national news channels, in which he advised the COVID-19 patients to not to go to the hospitals for treatment but should cure the symptoms themselves by following his advice.”
Furthermore, he wrote that Ramdev also stated in the video that if anyone is having deficiency in their oxygen levels, they should do ‘Anulom vilom Pranayama’ and ‘Kapalbhati Pranayama’.
Dahiya pointed out that Ramdev gave advice to the COVID-19 patients against the advice/directions issued by the Government of India for the treatment of COVID-19 and in that way pushed the patients towards their deathbeds without any treatment from the hospital.
“The accused should be punished as per law,” he said.
The orthopedician said that Baba Ramdev is liable to be punished under the provision of Disaster Management Act of 2005 and Epidemic Disease Act of 1897.
The IMA Vice President stated that Ramdev “hatched a conspiracy” to get COVID-19 patients admitted to the Patanjali Yogpeeth.
He added in the complaint that Ramdev, in an interview with ABP news, defamed doctors.
Dahiya wrote, “Baba Ramdev stated that the doctors intentionally give injection to kill patients and by doing so, he created panic in the public.”
He said, patients would not feel like coming to the hospitals for treatment due to this, hence creating a problem for the government to overcome the situation.