AIIMS RDA moves Delhi HC seeking injunction against Baba Ramdev over allopathy remark

Hearing the petition, the High Court adjourned the matter till Monday.

The Association has filed suit under Section 91 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (CPC), accompanied by an application seeking leave of the Court, seeking inter alia permanent and mandatory injunction against the Defendants, as a result of a sustained and mala fide misinformation campaign being orchestrated by the defendant, who would consequently profit from such statements/misinformation, through the defendants.

The advocate told the Court that such campaign by the defendant during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic amounts to public nuisance, as also a series of wrongful acts affecting to affect the public at large in as much as the Defendant is misleading and misrepresenting to the public at large.

The lawyer representing the Association said that Swami Ramdev is highly influential and has a very large reach, with followers numbering several lakh on social media, and accordingly, statements made by him have the potential to directly influence his followers.

The Association argued that the misinformation campaign alleging ill-effects and lack of efficacy of allopathy during the ongoing pandemic have the propensity to divert people from allopathic treatments prescribed as the standard form of care even by the Government of India, and thereby directly violates the right to health of persons in India/citizens of India, which is a facet of Article 21 of the Constitution.

The lawyer further added that despite the sacrifices made by healthcare workers, Defendant through his misinformation campaign is inducing the innocent members of the public into believing that allopathic medicines are unsuccessful in the treatment of COVID-19.

The lawyer apprised the court that the defendant through his misinformation campaign said that the allopathic doctors, who are only concerned with profiteering during the ongoing pandemic, are to be blamed for the deaths of the COVID-19 patients and also that the vaccines are not only ineffective in preventing COVID-19, but are also causing deaths of allopathic doctors themselves and other members of the public.