Doctors` protest against Yoga Guru Ramdev today, FORDA to observe 'black day' across the country

New Delhi: The Federation of Resident Doctors` Association (FORDA) India will hold a nationwide protest against Yoga Guru Ramdev on Tuesday over his remarks regarding allopathic doctors and modern medicine. The controversy started with a video, floating on different social media sites, showing Ramdev terming modern allopathy "a stupid and failed science".

On Saturday, FORDA India had informed that it will hold a nationwide black day protest "without hampering the patient care to voice their protest against the statements of Yoga Guru Ramdev against COVID warriors and modern medicine." The association also demanded an unconditional open public apology or action against him under the Epidemic Diseases Act. 

The Doctors Association Jammu (DAJ) will also hold a protest on the same day against Ramdev`s "irresponsible statements" on modern medicine. 

In a statement, the DAJ also appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to instruct necessary action against Ramdev and said that he should face the consequences of his "irresponsible and despicable public statements".

The protest will be held without hampering the care being given to patients amid the COVID pandemic. As part of the protest, doctors will wear black bandages.

On Wednesday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) had appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take appropriate action under sedition and other charges against Ramdev for allegedly "spearheading a misinformation campaign on COVID vaccination".

The IMA had sent a legal notice to yoga guru Baba Ramdev over his alleged statements against allopathy and "defaming" scientific medicine. However, the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust denied allegations by the IMA that Ramdev has misled people by making "unlearned" statements against allopathy and defamed scientific medicine.

"IMA brings to the notice of our Health Minister, a video circulating in social media portraying, the celebrated Yoga Guruji saying that `modern allopathy ek aisi stupid aur diwaliya science hai` (modern allopathy is a stupid and failed science)," the association had said in its statement.

While Bihar Junior Doctors Association, on Monday, said its members will also observe `black day` on June 1 in `solidarity with fraternity of modern medicine` to lodge protest against Yoga guru Ramdev`s `defamatory and unlawful statements`.

On May 23, Baba Ramdev had withdrawn his statements on allopathic medicine after receiving a strong-worded letter from Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan who called his remarks "inappropriate".

"We do not oppose modern medical science and allopathy. We believe that allopathy has shown immense progress in surgery and the lifesaving system and served humanity. My statement has been quoted as part of a WhatsApp message that I was reading during a meeting of volunteers. I am sorry if it has hurt anyone`s sentiment," wrote Ramdev in his letter to the Union Health Minister in Hindi.

According to a Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust statement, Ramdev was reading out a WhatsApp forwarded message in the video that has gone viral on social media.