Baba Ramdev vs IMA's Dr Lele: Yoga guru and shut ups

As millions of people scramble to secure medicines amid the devastating second wave of coronavirus, Baba Ramdev seems to not think much about them. He called allopathy "stupid science" in a viral video, triggering a very strong response from the Indian Medical Association. He retracted his statements once Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan stepped in but continued to challenge the belief in allopathy. However, things escalated to such a point that IMA General Secretary Dr Jayesh M Lele asked the yoga guru to "shut up" during a television discussion.

Dr Lele also criticised Ramdev for keeping Coronil -- Patanjali Ayurved's immunity booster kit -- in the video frame during the interview with Aaj Tak. "Why are you advertising Coronil, remove it from the view, firstly," said Dr Lele. As Dr Lele continued to critique Ramdev, the latter interrupted in protestation. "Aap chup baithiye, you keep quiet," he said.

When the yoga guru interrupted for the second time, an irate Dr Lele said, "You keep quiet. You don't speak when I am speaking." "Who asked you to comment on allopathy? Did we ask you?" said Dr Lele. He called Ramdev's comments on people dying after taking allopathic medicines "nonsense" and said that he is being laughed at globally. "How much have you studied about allopathy and how much do you know?" he asked.

On Monday evening, the yoga guru had also posed 25 questions to IMA and the pharmaceutical industry. He asked if allopathy has delivered treatments for hypertension, and Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes. Ramdev asked if the pharma industry has a solution for arthritis, colitis, thyroid. He asked if allopathy had medicines for fatty liver and liver cirrhosis. "After All, allopathy is now 200 years old," he added.

Ramdev asked if the pharma industry has a solution to reverse heart blockage, and for management of cholesterol. "Does the pharma industry have treatment for migraine or treatment for constipation," he asked. The yoga guru asked if allopathy has any painless cure for infertility and to reverse ageing process.

"Doctors should not fall ill at all if allopathy is all powerful and 'sarvagun sampanna' (with all good qualities)," he said.

The IMA stated that Ramdev should be prosecuted for his statements. "The Union health minister who himself is a practicing modern medicine allopathic postgraduate and head of this ministry, should either accept the challenge and accusation of this gentleman and dissolve the modern medical facility or boldly face and prosecute the person for his words of arson on the sovereignty of the country and book him under the Epidemic Act to save millions of people from such unscientific utterances," the IMA said.

Also read: Ramdev's statement taken out of context, he believes allopathy is progressive science: Patanjali

Also read: Baba Ramdev puts 25 questions before IMA after allopathy foot-in-mouth episode