IMA writes to PM Modi demanding sedition case against yoga guru Ramdev

The top medical body has also served a defamation notice against Ramdev, demanding an apology from himwithing 15 days for his comments discrediting modern doctors and allopathy medicine, failing which it will demand a compensation of Rs 1,000 crore from him.

"It is well proved that by vaccination we save our people and country from catastrophic cascades of severe infection. At this juncture, painfully we bring to your kind notice, the video claiming 10,000 doctors have died in spite of taking both the doses of vaccine and lakhs of people have died due to allopathic medicine are circulating virally in the social media, as said by Mr Ramdev, owner of Patanjali products," the body stated in its letter, according to media reports

"We the members of the modern medicine professionals submit; we follow the guidelines and protocols issued by the ministry of health through ICMR or the National Task Force in our treatment offered to millions of people coming to our hospitals. If someone is claiming the allopathic medicine has killed people, it is an attempt to challenge the ministry which has issued the protocol for treatment to us," it added.

So far, 753 doctors died of COVID19 in the first wave while 513 succumbed to the infection as per its records, IMA said, adding that none of the doctors deceased in the first wave could get the vaccine and the doctors who died of the infection in the second wave couldn't be vaccinated for various reasons, the media reports said

"Now deceitfully attributing 10,000 people have died in spite of two doses of vaccination, is a deliberate move to stall the efforts of vaccination to reach our masses and it needs to be curtailed immediately," the IMA said.

"IMA, the professional organisation of modern medical doctors" respects, acknowledges and compliments all systems of medicine, especially Indian system of Ayurvedic medicine.

"We are not against any medicine promoted by the ministry and happy to share in most of our public health treatment centres, the drugs promoted by the AYUSH ministry. We opposed certain drugs promoted without the approval of ministry as a curative drug.

"We appeal to your highness, to take appropriate action against individuals viciously propagating the message of fear on vaccination and challenge the government of India protocols for treatment for their vested interest in their company products. This in our opinion is a clear-cut case of a sedition and such persons should be booked immediately without any delay under the charges of sedition," the body said, media reports added.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday asked Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev to take back his comment on allopathy where he said that  more people died of modern medical treatments during the COVID-19 crisis than the coronavirus itself.

Sharing a letter he has written to the Yoga practitioner and a face of an alternative medicine empire, Harsh Vardhan tweeted in Hindi that he has asked him to take back his 'objectionable' statement.

He said doctors who fight against the virus day and night are like gods to the people of the country.

"Baba Ramdevji's statement has hurt the sentiments of the country by disrespecting the Corona warriors," he had said.

After a few hours Ramdev said he was withdrawing his comments.

"Received your letter Dr Harsh Vardhan. In that context and to put an end to the whole controversy over the conflict between different forms treatments, I express my regret and withdraw my statement," he wrote.

However, a day after he tweeted an open letter in which posed  25 questions, asking if allopathy had solution for ailments such as hypertension, type-1 and 2 diabetes, Parkinsons, etc.

A little late, his aide Acharya Balkrishnan tweeted accusing allopathic doctors under IMA of targetting Ayurveda and Ramdev as part of a conspiracy.