If there is a competition on the frequency of evoking controversy, yoga guru and Patanjali founder Ramdev will definitely lead it with his sort of misogyny and casteism. His recent comment on women that has taken social media to storms after social activist and chief of Delhi Women Commission Swati Maliwai shared it on Twitter also had brought flaks from the political circle.
Flanked by Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, the yoga guru on November 25 said that the he likes women wearing saree, salwar anything- but women look good “even if they don’t wear anything.”
In the video Ramdev with his quintessential smile is heard saying, “I see everyone looks very happy. You have a happy fortune too. Those in front got a chance to wear sarees. Those at the back did not get a chance. They probably packed and brought sarees from home but did not have time to change.”
Following this he said, “You look beautiful in saree. You also look good in salwar suits, like Amruta ji. And if like me, someone does not wear it, that also looks good.” The video shows camera focusing on the faces of women who were looking at each other in uncomfortably.
In the program where Shrikant Shinde, son of CM Eknath Shinde was also present, he in a sarcastic tune continued that the people wear clothes for social norms and children up to 10 years used to not wear anything earlier but now it has become a fashion and children even put on five layers of clothes.
Reactions from different quarters
The comments of Ramdev as spread through social media, from women’s bodies to political figures came heavily on him. Sharing Ramdev’s video, Delhi Women Commission’s chief Maliwai asked for Ramdev’s apology.
In the tweet in Hindi she wrote, “The remarks made by Swami Ramdev on women in front of the wife of the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra are indecent and condemnable. All women have been hurt by this statement, Baba Ramdev ji should apologise to the country for this statement.”
The fierce TMC leader and Loksabha MP Mohua Moitra brought in the reference of Anna Hazare movement where Ramdev escaped police arrest wearing women’s clothes. Moitra in a tweet wrote, “Now I know why Patanjali baba ran away from Ramlila Maidan in women's clothes. He says he likes sarees, salwars and...Clearly got a strabismus in his brain that makes his views so lop-sided.”
The political fractions in Maharashtra also have thrown their hats into the ring. Sanjay Raut from the Uddhav faction slammed the. silence of Shinde government and said, “The government remains silent when the Governor makes an insulting remark on Shivaji, when Karnataka Chief Minister threatens to take Maharashtra villages to Karnataka and now when BJP campaigner Ramdev insults women. Has the government mortgaged its tongue to Delhi?”
Is it Baba’s first time?
Controversial comments have always been a part and parcel of Baba Ramdev. In 2014, the yoga guru courted severe controversy for humiliating Dalits.
While he tried to hit at Rahul Gandhi, he ended up denigrating Dalits. On Gandhi’s visit of Dalit houses, Ramdev said, “He goes to Dalit's house for honeymoon and picnic. Had he married a Dalit girl, then his luck could have clicked and he would have become the Prime Minister.” FIR was registered against him for spreading false statement in connection with an election.
Known for his upholding of ‘Indian Sanskari’ culture against the westernised modern ideals, Ramdev once severely criticised jeans and said, “It is so hot here why do people need to wear jeans? And you have to lie down in order to wear it because it is so tight.”
Ironically in 2018 his company Patanjali’s attire section launched ripped jeans that for social media users sarcastically became ‘sanskari jeans’. Ramdev during its launch said, “People are wearing torn jeans these days. So, some of our jeans are ripped, but we haven’t ripped them so much also so as to lose our Indian-ness and our values.”
His comments however not only remained limited to caste to Indian values. His jingoism got reflected when he in 2016 said, “We respect this country’s law and Constitution, otherwise if anybody disrespects Bharat Mata, we have the capability of beheading, not one but thousands and lakhs.” The staunch supporter and patron of BJP, baba Ramdev has never shied away from wearing his political armours.
However, this time the presence of CM and deputy CM’s family also couldn’t dodge the controversy, rather it has spiked the fire.
