‘Owaisi not OBC’: Baba Ramdev on viral video of him featuring outraging remarks against community

NEW DELHI: In an effort to quell the controversy surrounding his recent comments, yoga guru and Patanjali founder Baba Ramdev issued a clarification on Saturday after a video surfaced on social media platform X. The controversial remarks, made during a public appearance, triggered outrage, leading to calls for a boycott against Patanjali, the Haridwar-based FMCG company co-founded by Ramdev in 2006.

In the video circulating on X, Baba Ramdev, while engaged in a ritual on stage before a large audience, was heard saying, "Mera mool gotra hai brahma gotra. Aur main hoon agnihotri. Agnihotri brahmin hoon main. Bole Babaji aap toh OBC ho. OBC wale aisi taisi karaye. Faltu." (My primary gotra is brahma gotra. And I am an Agnihotri. I am an Agnihotri Brahmin. They say, 'Babaji, you are an OBC...').

The term OBC refers to a collective classification employed by the government of India to identify caste groups that face educational or social disadvantages, encompassing historically marginalized groups beyond those recognized as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The phrase referencing the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) stirred controversy, with social media users deeming it offensive to this community.

The controversy gained momentum on social media, with Hansraj Meena, founder of the socio-cultural group Tribal Army, expressing his displeasure on platform X. Meena said, "Ramdev, you become a Brahmin. Become a Thakur. Become a tradesman. I do not mind. But how can you show hypocrisy of caste superiority and insult the OBC community in such a way? Keep in mind, the day the OBC community boycotts Patanjali's goods, this shop will get shut." His post included the hashtag #BoycottPatanjali.


Responding to the growing backlash, Baba Ramdev addressed the controversy, saying, "I said Owaisi and not OBC." Ramdev suggested that his comment might have been a reference to Asaduddin Owaisi or his brother Akbaruddin Owaisi, both associated with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) party.

"You know Owaisi is not right in his mind, so what's the problem," he remarked when questioned about the controversial statement.

Ramdev further added, "Owaisi and his ancestors have always harbored anti-national sentiments. We shouldn't take him seriously." Despite reporters emphasizing the term "OBC," Ramdev insisted, "I have never said anything wrong about OBC [people]."