'What Did I Say Wrong?' Yoga Guru Ramdev Defends 'Beheading' Remarks
In April last year, Ramdev had said at an event in Haryana's Rohtak district that he would have "beheaded" people who would refuse to chant the slogan 'Bharat mata ki jai' had it not been for the law.
A day after a non-bailable warrant was issued against Baba Ramdev for his 'beheading' remarks, the yoga guru is defiant. Speaking to NDTV on Thursday, Ramdev stood by his remarks and said "What did I say wrong?"
"What did I say wrong? I believe in the law... So the matter ends here," he said in an exclusive interview with NDTV. When asked further on the topic, the yoga guru said "Till now even I haven't received summons, don't know how you people get such news. I have not received any summon or warrant."
In April last year, Ramdev had said at an event in Haryana's Rohtak district that he would have "beheaded" people who would refuse to chant the slogan 'Bharat mata ki jai' had it not been for the law.
On Wednesday, a court in Rohtak had issued a non-bailable warrant against Ramdev after he failed to appear in court. This had come just two days after the court had issued a bailable warrant against the yoga guru.
"The order follows Ramdev's failure to appear before the court yet again today (Wednesday). He also failed to appear despite summons and a bailable warrant," OP Chugh, the counsel for the complainant in the case, had said on Wednesday.
The court had summoned Ramdev under Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke the breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Ramdev had made the controversial remarks at a Sadbhawana Sammelan in Rohtak last year, which was called to promote peace in the city that witnessed violence during the Jat quota agitation.
On March 2, summons had been issued to Ramdev after a complaint was filed by Congress leader and former Haryana minister Subhash Batra seeking registration of a police case against the yoga guru.
Ramdev is considered close to the BJP government in Haryana, which has been in power in the state since October 2014. The BJP government has also named Ramdev as the brand ambassador of Haryana.
