Yoga guru and Patanjali Ayurved co-founder Baba Ramdev has stepped forward to defend his recent remarks made during the promotion of his company’s rose-flavoured sherbet, which have stirred significant controversy and drawn sharp criticism on social media and from political circles.
The remarks, which many perceived as communal in nature, were made in a video advertisement promoting Patanjali’s rose sherbet and were widely circulated online.
Responding to the criticism, Ramdev sought to clarify his position, insisting that his comments were not targeted at any particular brand or community. Speaking to PTI Videos on Friday, the yoga guru asserted,
“I did not mention anyone by name, but it seems the Rooh Afza company has chosen to take the reference to ‘sherbet jihad’ personally.
By reacting in this way, they have only confirmed what I had implied. If they are indeed involved in religious activities, such as constructing mosques and madrasas, and are doing so as part of their faith, they should embrace it with pride.”
Ramdev further remarked that his intention was not to target any individual or company, but rather to raise awareness among consumers, especially those who follow Sanatan Dharma (a reference to the Hindu religious tradition), suggesting that people should be mindful of the cultural and ideological implications of their purchasing choices.
“If someone has an issue with this perspective, so be it,” he added, maintaining a defiant tone in the face of the ongoing criticism.
The controversy was sparked by a video advertisement in which Ramdev, while promoting Patanjali’s rose sherbet, made a veiled reference to the well-known beverage brand Rooh Afza.
Without naming the brand explicitly, he claimed that certain sherbet companies not only sell their drinks but also channel their profits into funding the construction of religious institutions such as madarsas and mosques.
In the promotional video, Ramdev is heard saying in Hindi: “There is a sherbet company that certainly sells its drink, but the money earned from those sales is used to build madrasas and mosques. That is their religious right, and they are entitled to it.
But people should be aware that by drinking their sherbet, the money ultimately contributes to the construction of these religious establishments.
On the other hand, if you choose Patanjali’s rose sherbet, your money helps fund the establishment and growth of gurukuls, acharyakulams, Patanjali universities, and even the Indian Education Board.”
He concluded the segment with a controversial statement, likening the supposed phenomenon to other polarizing narratives such as “love jihad” and “vote jihad,” and coined the term “sherbet jihad.” Ramdev dramatically sipped Patanjali’s rose sherbet in the video and urged viewers to avoid falling victim to what he described as “sherbet jihad.”
The remarks were immediately met with a strong backlash across social and political platforms, with critics accusing Ramdev of making communal insinuations and exploiting religious divides for commercial advantage.
Among those who publicly condemned his comments was journalist-turned-politician Sagarika Ghose, now a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament representing the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Taking to social media on April 12, Ghose wrote: “Move over, love jihad — now we have ‘sherbet jihad,’ pushed by the businessman-Baba to further divide people along religious lines.
Baba Ramdev has enjoyed open patronage from none other than the Narendra Modi government. This is the communal poison that has been injected into our society, designed to divert attention from the Modi government’s severe governance failures.”
The controversy also sparked a renewed interest in the history of Rooh Afza, the iconic rose-flavoured sherbet that has been a household name across South Asia for more than a century.
The beverage was originally formulated in 1907 by Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed, a renowned Unani physician born in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. After his passing in 1922, his elder son, Hakeem Abdul Hameed, took charge of the Indian division of the family business, Hamdard, while his younger son,
Hakeem Mohammad Saeed migrated to Pakistan following the partition and established the beverage’s production there.
Over the years, Rooh Afza has become an integral part of culinary and cultural traditions in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, transcending national boundaries and religious divides.
Despite the company’s long-standing history, it has now found itself unwillingly embroiled in a modern-day culture war, following Ramdev’s comments.
For now, Ramdev appears to remain unapologetic about the controversy, framing the debate as one of consumer choice and ideological awareness rather than as communal provocation.
Nevertheless, the incident has reignited discussions around the increasing use of polarizing narratives in both commercial advertising and political discourse.
