Yoga guru Baba Ramdev frequently makes headlines due to his extensive business, but, this time the brand ambassador for Patanjali Ayurved has courted controversy due to a statement related to Other Backward Class (OBC). However, he issued a clarification when the matter escalated.
A video clip from Baba Ramdev’s sermon on his Ashtha channel had appeared on social media where he appeared to be making derogatory comments about OBCs. A large number of people shared the clip on X, accusing Ramdev of making anti-OBC comments.
बाबा रामदेव अब जो भी हो अच्छी चीज है, अपनी बढ़ाई करो, लेकिन दूसरा ऐसी तैसी करवाये ऐसा बोलना कहां तक सही है ??#ObcBoycottBabaRamdev#मुझे_ओबीसी_होने_पर_गर्व_है
— Bhera ram (@JATbera1) January 13, 2024
pic.twitter.com/VK9PkRCv6K
When the media asked bout about the comment, he denied making any comments on OBCs and claimed, “I have not made any such remark.” When he was reminded of his words by a journalist, he referred to All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and stated, “Owaisi! His head is in the wrong place. What should I say about him? Owaisi and his forefathers always possessed an anti-national mindset. I don’t take him seriously.”
In response to the boycott hashtag trending in his name on social media over his comments on OBC, he said, “I have never said anything wrong about them, I never said anything negative on OBCs.”
VIDEO | "I said 'Owaisi' and not 'OBC'," says Ramdev in response to a media query whether he had made any remarks on 'OBC'. pic.twitter.com/oTyDOLTXQI
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 13, 2024
It all started after an old video of Baba Ramdev from his program on the Aastha TV channel surfaced online in which he declared, “My original gotra (the exogamous unit used to denote the paternal lineage of Hindus) is Brahma gotra and I am an Agnihotri. I am an Agnihotri Brahmin. Someone told me ‘Baba you are an OBC, OBCs can go to hell’.” He further reiterated, “I am an Agnihotri Brahmin. I am a Vedi Brahmin. I am a Dwivedi Brahmin. I am a Trivedi Brahmin and I am a Chaturvedi Brahmin. I studied the four Vedas.”
He then proclaimed, “I am Brahmin because I remove ignorance. I am a Kshatriya because I eliminate everyone’s fear. I am a Vaishya because I fulfil people’s needs. I am a Shudra because your body, mind, life, food, thoughts, voice, behaviour, actions and conduct are cleansed by me. I purge every vice and establish the light of purity and knowledge. I am a Mahashudra as well as a Mahabrahmin.”
With a playful tone, he informed that those who perform the last rites of the deceased in Haridwar are called Mahabrahmins and announced that even he can perform those ceremonies. He then remarked, “We took down every obstacle and demonstrated to the people that you have everything and and everything is due to you. You are going to be the start of a new world and a fresh era. I am filling you with strength and bravery. I am transforming you into a Brahmin, a Kshatriya, a Vaishya and a Shudra. I am forming you into an Arya, a saint, a divine being and a part of Brahma. I am evolving you into a yogi and a devotee.”
The video’s year or exact time remains unknown.
बाबा राम देव का एक वीडियो Viral हुआ है जिसमे कहा जा रहा है, बाबा रामदेव ने OBC का अपमान किया है!
— Santosh kumar (@sk90official) January 13, 2024
लेकिन वह पूरा वीडियो नही है पूरा वीडियो देखने पर पता चला सच्चाई कुछ और है!
पूरा वीडियो जरूर देखे! #BabaRamdev #Ramdevbaba #ObcBoycottBabaRamdev pic.twitter.com/ExrB06HMOj
Notably, Ramdev was narrating the discourse between him and another person, but only a small clip of the video is being shared, claiming that his comments quoting another person are his own comments. ‘Boycott Patanjali’ began trending on social media since a 30-second clip taken from the footage gained traction among netizens, which didn’t give the full context of his speech.
From the longer video, it is clear that someone had insulted him saying that he is an OBC, and Ramdev was responding to that. In the full video, Baba Ramdev can be heard talking about the unification of all castes in an individual and mocking the idea of associating with one caste.
