A day after the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha called for action against his ayurvedic pharmacy for promoting a son-guaranteeing medicine, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Friday accused the parliamentarians of mocking Ayurveda – either due to ill-intention or misinformation – and using a “fakir” (mendicant) to target the ‘wazir’ (prime minister).

Soon after the Opposition raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Baba Ramdev had tweeted that ‘Putrajivak’ is a “classical ayurvedic name and deals with infertility issues, not gender-selection” as alleged. Following the controversy, the pharmacy has decided to explain the product on the packet so that there is no misunderstanding over its use. Briefing media persons, he said, “It is very unfortunate to see misinformed and/or ill-intentioned parliamentarians mocking Ayurveda tradition in Parliament”.

Yoga guru Ramdev clarifies his stand on son-gurantee medicine in a press conference on Friday. Divya Pharmacy, owned by Baba Ramdev and manufacturer of this infertility medicine, will carry statutory warning on the medicine packet. There was uproar in recent Rajya Sabha sessions on Ramdev’s son-gurantee medicine. Photo: Prashant Nakwe.

He also demanded that K. C. Tyagi – the Janata Dal (United) MP who first raised the issue – and others apologise to Parliament and the people of India for mocking Ayurveda. “I urge K. C. Tyagi and others to raise people-centric issues in Parliament rather than engaging in sensationalism and spreading rumours.

Using a ‘fakir’ like me, attempts are being made to malign the name of ‘wazir’,” he said, adding that the lesson from this entire “baseless” controversy is that the MPs should learn Sanskrit. “They have become very ‘angrez’ (anglicised) after studying English.”

On his silence on the black money issue ever since the Modi Government has come to power, the Yoga guru said he had not given up that agenda but was holding fire only to give the new dispensation time to address the problem.