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In controversial remarks, yoga guru Ramdev has said he respects the law of the land and the Constitution otherwise ’lakhs of heads would have been cut for opposing the chanting of Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.

Chanting Bharat Mata Ki Jai is an affirmation of citizens’ faith in their country, their motherland and if a religion preached otherwise, it was against national interest, he said.

"If any religion prohibits chanting of Bharat Mata Ki Jai it is against national interest (kehte hain Bharat Mata Ki Jai bolna hamare dharm ke khilaaf hai....aur agar koi mazhab yeh kehta ho ki apni matrabhoomi ko gaurav mat do, woh mazhab bhi desh ke hit mein nahi," Ramdev said addressing a ’Sadbhavna Sammelan’ here yesterday, holding that the chant is about the motherland and not any religion.

He launched a veiled attack on AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi who had recently said he will not chant Bharat Mata ki Jai even if a knife is put to his throat. He, however, did not directly name Owaisi.

"Koi aadmi topi pehan kar ke khada ho jaata hai, bolta Bharat Mata Ki Jai nahi bolunga, chahe meri gardan kaat do. Arrey is desh mein kanoon hai, nahi toh teri ek ki kya, hum toh lakhon ki gardan kaat sakte hain (Some person wearing a cap stands up and says that he will not say Bharat Mata Ki Jai even if you decapitate him. Look, there is rule of law in this country, otherwise let alone one, we can behead lakhs," Ramdev said attacking those who refuse to chant the slogan.

He also said that there is a rule of law and he respect the Constitution of this country.

"Hum is desh ke kanoon aur samvidhan ka samman karte hain, nahi toh koi Bharat Mata ka apmaan kare, ek nahi, hum hazaron, lakhon ke sheesh kalam karne ka samarth rakhte hain (We respect this country’s law and the Constitution, otherwise if anybody disrespects Bharat Mata, we have the capability of beheading not one but thousands and lakhs," he said.

Chanting the slogan is not worship of any religion, the yoga guru said.

"Bharat Mata Ki Jai bolna koi kisi dharm ki pooja nahi hai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai bolna kisi ki aarti utarna nahi hai. Bharat Mata Ki Jai bolna koi dharm pooja nahi hai, yeh toh apne rashtra ke gaurav ka, apne rashtra ke swabhiman ka, apne rashtra ki garima ka prashan hai, aur hum Hindu hon, hum Sikh hon, hum Muslim hon, hum Isai hon, hum sabse pehle Hindustani hain (It is a matter of national honour, pride, prestige. We may be Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Christians, but we are Indians first)," Ramdev said.

The speakers at the ’Sadbhavana Sammelan’ included Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Dev Vrat, Jain Muni Tarun Sagar, chess player Anuradha Beniwal, Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda, sportsperson Yogeshwar Dutt, Haryana’s child prodigy Kautilya Pandit, among others.

The sammelan was organised under the aegis of ’Samajik Samrasta Manch’ in Rohtak, which had been the epicentre of the recent incidents of violence during the Jat stir for caste-based quota.