Speaking in Rajasthan’s Barmer, the yoga guru can be heard saying that Muslims believe that namaz washes away all sins whether it is “kidnapping Hindu girls or terrorism”.
Baba Ramdev. Photo: PTI
New Delhi: Yoga guru-businessman Baba Ramdev is in the news yet again, this time for comments about Muslims and Christians he can be heard making in a viral video. At a gathering in Barmer, Rajasthan, Ramdev claimed that the two communities have been “obsessed” with “conversion”.
He adds: “Our Muslim brothers commit a lot of sins, but I have seen that they will definitely pray. Because that’s what they have been taught, just pray, do whatever else you want to do. They became terrorists, and a lot of them become criminals.”
“I am not saying this is what Islam or Quran teaches. But it is being followed anyway,” he says in the video.
About Christianity, he claimed: “What does Christianity say? Go to church, light a candle, and then stand in front of the Lord Jesus… all your sins will be washed away.” He can be heard saying that Christians wear a cross across their chest and propagate the religion.
“I am not criticising anyone. These people are just obsessed with that. Some say turn the whole world into Islam, someone says the whole world should be turned into Christianity. But tell me what you will do by changing it. No agenda,” he goes on in the video.
He was talking about the two religions in comparison with Hinduism, claiming that the latter teaches non-violence and honesty. Ironically, only a week ago, another Hindutva leader in Mumbai was provoking Hindus to pick arms and “teach Muslims a lesson”.
According to reports, the Rajasthan police have initiated a suo motu enquiry into the statements.
Criticising his statement, the NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace said they showed Ramdev’s “desperate attempt to gain attention and fit in with his extremist counterparts”. It added: “Through this speech, Ramdev said derogatory and demeaning statements, attacking the Muslim and Christian communities. In order to depict Hinduism as the best religion out of all, Ramdev tried to goad the audience into accepting a prejudicial, anti-Muslim narrative.”
This is not the first time that Ramdev has made problematic statements. In November last year, the yoga guru commented that women look good when they wear “saris, salwar kameez or even, if like me, when they choose to wear nothing”.