Baba Ramdev has stirred up a political and communal storm once again, this time over remarks made in a promotional video that’s quickly gone viral. While endorsing Patanjali’s rose sharbat, the yoga guru accused an unnamed sharbat-selling company of channeling profits into religious institutions—specifically mosques and madrasas.
In the video, shared via the official ‘Patanjali Products’ Facebook page, Ramdev uses the phrase “sharbat jihad” to describe what he frames as a two-pronged threat: mainstream cold beverages, which he compared to “toilet cleaner,” and certain sharbat brands that, according to him, fund religious construction.
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The caption accompanying the post in Hindi, when translated, urges viewers to “shield their children and families from the toxic cold drinks and the so-called ‘sharbat jihad’” and instead choose Patanjali products.
Ramdev doesn’t mince words in the video. Speaking to an audience, he criticizes the popularity of cold drinks during the summer, arguing that they’re harmful and chemically loaded. “People are unknowingly drinking what’s no better than toilet cleaner,” he says. “That’s one kind of attack. On the other hand, there’s a business running on the sale of sharbat, and the money is being used to construct mosques and madrasas. That’s their belief system—no problem with that—but people need to know what they’re supporting when they buy.”
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The remarks have sparked immediate backlash online, with critics accusing Ramdev of communalizing a consumer product and using his platform to push divisive narratives under the guise of marketing. The reference to “sharbat jihad” has particularly drawn flak for echoing other polarizing phrases that have previously stirred controversy.
Neither Patanjali nor Ramdev has responded to the growing criticism, but the video continues to circulate widely on social media, fueling further debate.
