'Said Owaisi, not OBC': Ramdev clarifies after video sparks outrage
New Delhi: Yoga guru Ramdev found himself in a controversy after a video went viral in which he appeared to make derogatory comments toward the Other Backward Classes (OBC), media reports said.
However, Ramdev later clarified that he had made the remarks on AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi and were not meant to insult the OBC community.
"I said 'Owaisi' and not 'OBC.' His (Owaisi's) predecessors were anti-nationals. I don't take him seriously," Ramdev was quoted as saying by NDTV.
The viral video on social media led to widespread condemnation, suggesting that Ramdev had insulted the OBC community by asserting his Brahmin identity.
Ramdev told the media that his statement had been misconstrued and misunderstood.
According to the report, in the video, Ramdev allegedly proclaimed his Brahmin identity and listed various Brahmin gotras, including ‘Agnihotri Brahmin’.
The yoga guru clarified, stating, "My original gotra is Brahma gotra. I am an Agnihotri Brahman. People may label me as OBC, but I am a Vedi Brahmin, Dwivedi Brahmin, Trivedi Brahmin, Chaturvedi Brahmin - I have studied all four Vedas."
The video was widely shared on social media, sparking outrage with many users protesting Ramdev’s alleged remarks with #boycottpatanjali.
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