The Federation of Resident Doctors Association India (FORDA) has announced a nationwide “black day” protest on June 1 against the remarks against allopathy by yoga guru and ayurvedic businessman Baba Ramdev.
“Even after raising objections to statements by Mr. Ram Kishan Yadav (#RamdevBaba), no action has been taken yet. We are hereby declaring Nationwide #BlackDayProtest on 1st June,2021 at workplace, without hampering healthcare services,” FORDA tweeted.
Even after raising objections to statements by Mr. Ram Kishan Yadav (#RamdevBaba), no action has been taken yet. We are hereby declaring Nationwide #BlackDayProtest on 1st June,2021 at workplace, without hampering healthcare services @ANI @ians_india @MoHFW_INDIA @drharshvardhan pic.twitter.com/nyWlguxomL
— FORDA INDIA (@FordaIndia) May 29, 2021
The move is the latest in the spat between allopathic doctors and Baba Ramdev, after a video circulated of Ramdev called allopathy a “stupid science”. Ramdev also allegedly said medicines like remdesivir and other drugs approved by the Drug Controller General of India had failed to treat COVID-19 and that “lakhs of patients” had died after taking allopathic medicines.
His comments sparked outrage, with the Indian Medical Association calling for an unconditional apology. Following the intervention of Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Ramdev withdrew his remark callnig allopathy a “stupid science”. However, he continued to challenge allopathic doctors, issuing 25 questions to the IMA asking about treatments for conditions from diabetes to migraine, noting that “Doctors should not fall ill at all if allopathy is all powerful and ‘sarvagun sampanna’ (having all good qualities).”
The IMA Uttarakhand went on to file a Rs 1,000 crore defamation notice against Ramdev, citing violations of the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and the Disaster Management Act, 2005. IMA national chief Dr J.A. Jayalal said the association would take back its police complaints if Ramdev withdrew his remarks.
The matter has since turned communal. after an aide of Ramdev accused the IMA President of attempting to propagate Christianity. An article on the same was amplified by an RSS mouthpiece and by BJP MP Subramaniam Swamy. Dr Jayaalal responded to Swamy’s posts saying there was an effort being made to tarnish his image.
