SC asks Ramdev to place original record of his statement on allopathy
New Delhi, Jun 30: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked Baba Ramdev to place before it the original record of his statement on the use of allopathic medicine during COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the original thing which he has said? You have not placed the whole thing, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana asked senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who was appearing for the yoga guru.
Rohatgi told the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Hrishikesh Roy, that he would file the original video along with the transcript.
Okay, the bench said and posted the matter for hearing on July 5.
The top court was hearing Ramdev's plea seeking stay on the proceedings in connection with multiple FIRs lodged against him by Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Bihar and Chhattisgarh over his remarks against use of allopathic medicine during COVID-19 pandemic.
The Patna and Raipur chapters of the IMA have lodged complaints against Ramdev alleging that his remarks are likely to cause prejudice to the COVID control mechanism and may dissuade people from availing proper treatment against the pandemic.
In his plea, he has sought transfer of the FIRs lodged in Patna and Raipur to Delhi.
During the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, Rohatgi told the bench that Ramdev is a public figure and proponent of yoga and ayurveda.
He said that during an event, Ramdev had read out a WhatsApp message which was sent to him.
Ramdev has clarified that he has nothing against doctors or anyone, Rohatgi said, adding that several complaints have been registered against at different places.
Different complaints and FIRs have been filed against him , he said, adding that these complaints be clubbed in Delhi.
Rohatgi said that last year, when Patanjali had brought coronil', allopathic doctors went against him.
He (Ramdev) is not against them. Why should he go to so many places. Everybody has freedom of speech, he said.
The yoga guru has been booked under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to aa infection of disease dangerous to life) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the IPC have been invoked against him.
Ramdev, whose alleged statements created a nation-wide debate over Allopathy versus Ayurveda issue, however, had withdrawn his statements on May 23 after receiving a letter from Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan who had called his remarks as "inappropriate".
Ramdev has sought clubbing of FIRs on the issue and their transfer to Delhi and as an interim relief, he has also urged for a stay on the investigation in connection with the criminal complaints.
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Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
