CHANDIGARH: A court in Rohtak, Haryana on Wednesday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against yoga guru Ramdev for a violent remark made at a meeting, interestingly called to promote peace in Rohtak, which was a centre of violence during the Jat quota stir.
Ramdev on April 3, 2016, said "We respect this country's law and Constitution, otherwise if anybody disrespects Bharat Mata, we have the capability of beheading not one but thousands and lakhs." He was speaking at an RSS-organised Sadhbhavna Sammelan (meeting for peace) in Haryana's Rohtak.
The Court of additional chief judicial magistrate of Rohtak (ACJM) Harish Goyal had earlier issued a bailable warrant against Ramdev and summons to him for intentional insult with intent to provoke the breach of peace and criminal intimidation. However, Ramdev’s failure to appear in court both times moved the court to issue the arrest warrant on Wednesday.
The next date of hearing in the case is scheduled for August 3.
It was on the complaint of former Haryana minister of state for home affairs Subhash Batra that the court took up the case. The former minister had first approached the police but they took no action, following which he went to court.
Interestingly yoga guru Ramdev is the brand ambassador of the BJP government in Haryana.