Twitter users on Sunday protested against remarks allegedly made by Patanjali Ayurved co-founder Ramdev against followers of social activist Periyar and Dr B. R. Ambedkar, resulting in hashtag #arrestRamdev trending on the micro-blogging site.
In an interview on Monday, November 11, 2019, to Republic, Ramdev called that followers of anti-caste leaders B.R. Ambedkar and Periyar E.V. Ramaswami are indulging in vyacharik aatankwaad (intellectual terrorism), a term he claimed to have coined himself.
Initially, Ramdev’s interview generated various memes, especially using the image of the yoga guru lifiting Republic editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami up in the air.
However, on Sunday, November 17, responses became relatively serious with people demanding his arrest for his alleged remarks. Trending hashtags also called for a boycott of Patanjali products.
Journalism professor Dilip Mandal, who has used his Twitter page to raise awareness on Dalit issues, shared several tweets on the issue. Political activist Hansraj Meena shared a video clip of the interview, saying that abusive statements on Periyar and Ambedkar, and calling 'us intellectual terrorists' cannot be tolerated.
प्रिय, रामदेव (@yogrishiramdev) आपने अब तक माफी नहीं माँगी, आपकी ये हिम्मत? ये हिम्मत आती कहाँ से हैं? सत्ता व हुक्मरानों से। ध्यान रहें, हम सबको झुकाने जानते हैं। पेरियार,अम्बेडकर, मूलनिवासी अस्मिता पर वाहयत टिप्पणी और हमें वैचारिक आंतकवादी कहना बर्दाश्त नहीं। #shutdownPatanjali pic.twitter.com/1ZrviDrOt1
— Hansraj Meena (@ihansraj) November 17, 2019
#shutdownPatanjalihttps://t.co/pg8odVibmB
— Prof. Dilip Mandal (@dilipmandal) November 17, 2019
To friends in Tamilnadu. #BoycottPatanjaliProducts https://t.co/2j4X1qGpBa
— Prof. Dilip Mandal (@dilipmandal) November 16, 2019
Other Twitter users also shared their views on the issue, demanding Ramdev's arrest and calling for a boycott of Patanjali products.
Ramdev has insulted our great Periyar Ambedkar Birsa . We must boycott him and his products. We should sue him too. We want #ArrestRamdev .
— Dr.Sunil Kumar Meena (@Drsunil0198) November 17, 2019
.
🙏जय भीम जय पेरियार जय बिरसा 🙏#BoycottPatanjaliProducts#shutdownPatanjali #Ramdev_Insults_Periyar
There is a stigma in the name of Ramdev Yadav.He is a slave of the Confederates.He is a traitor born in Bahujan.All Bahujans should give an agreement to this so that no one can dare to abuse our great men.Make the ears fun#shutdownPatanjali #Ramdev_Insults_Periyar#ArrestRamdev pic.twitter.com/Wi5QrTFkBi
— DefaulterGabbar (@DefaulterGabbar) November 17, 2019
What is intellectual terrorism according to Ramdev
— The Dalit Voice (@ambedkariteIND) November 16, 2019
1. If you are Ambedkarite
2. If you're Periyariest
3. If you believe in Social Justice
4. If you believe in feminism
5. If you believe in democracy
6. If you believe in liberalism
If you believe...#BoycottPatanjaliProducts
#ArrestRamdev
— AdvDeebaBashir (@AdvDeebaBashir) November 17, 2019
Baba Baba Black ship
With the help of his fellow-govt
making India fool#CorruptBabaRamdev
Now Ramdev has crossed all the limits of sycophancy. He always speaks against the bahujan community, which he belongs himself. Now he has insulted our great icons. He should be detailed and prosecuted. @dilipmandal#arrestramdev pic.twitter.com/v7N8oWVBYZ
— gautam.bharati (@gautambharati1) November 17, 2019
As #ArrestRamdev, #BoycottPatanjaliProducts and #RamdevInsultsPeriyar trended, another hashtag #Salute_Baba_Ramdev began appearing on the micro-blogging website. A few users, including Mandal, called it the handiwork of the BJP IT cell.
#Ramdev_Insults_Periyar
— Sham Ganikapudi (@ganikapudi_) November 17, 2019
Bjp it cell counter trends (Salute_baba_ramdev)
to counter
Sc St Obc Minorities Trend
#Ramdev_Insults_Periyar #shutdownPatanjali #ArrestRamdev#BharatRatnaForPeriyar pic.twitter.com/yVZ1t0ruzr
अब रामदेव और बीजेपी का आईटी सेल मैदान में.
— Prof. Dilip Mandal (@dilipmandal) November 17, 2019
'Salute_बाबा_रामदेव' टैग वे ट्रेंड करा रहे हैं.
उनसे हो न पाएगा.
लेकिन सवाल ये है कि आप #ArrestRamdev क्यों ट्रेंड करा रहे हैं? सरकार है बेचारे की.
Many users found ways to troll Ramdev over the issue.
Baba Ramdev right now #ArrestRamdev pic.twitter.com/4igFmy80Rw
— Snehil Verman (@SnehilVerman) November 17, 2019
People After Using Patanjali Products..... 🤣🤣🤣🤣 #BoycottPatanjaliProducts pic.twitter.com/uGll4w4Wgf
— Pratik Prasun (@iamPrashi0915) November 16, 2019
#ArrestRamdev
— MD Nadim akhtar (@MDNadimakhtar2) November 17, 2019
Baba ji ko salwar pahannne fir majbur karo..#ArrestRamdev
Why people are trending #ArrestRamdev ?
— Rizwan (@riz1ahamed) November 17, 2019
Anyway Arrest him For Cheating and Fooling we Indians with Concept like Black Money & Desi products and his fake Ayurveda medicines.#Ramdev_Insults_Periyar #ArrestRamdev #RamdevChorHai pic.twitter.com/1tuTWwh56r
In the TV interview, Ramdev had said that followers of Periyar have increased negativity. 'Supporters of Periyar say that people who follow gods are fools, those who worship him are miscreants, and that God is evil, and such rubbish.'
Ramdev went on to claim that we don't need Lenin, Marx and Mao, and said that they had views that went against Indian culture. He referred to their followers as 'so bad'.
Later in the interview, he claimed that the followers of those people were 'dividing' the nation, and he had coined a term for them: intellectual terrorists.
