Rohtak: Amid the raging debate over nationalism, yoga guru Baba Ramdev yesterday stoked a fresh controversy saying he respects the Constitution of India or else he would have cut hundreds of heads for not chanting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.
“Some person wears a cap and sands up. He says I will not say Bharat Mata Ki Jai event if you decapitate me. I want to say there is a rule of law and we respect it, otherwise we can behead lakhs," Ramdev said while addressing a Sadbhavna rally organised by RSS here.
“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,” Ramdev added.
The yoga guru’s reaction comes against the backdrop of debate over patriotism and chanting of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi had stoked a controversy last month after he refused to chant ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ saying he is not obliged to do so by Constitution. Prior to Owaisi’s statement that stoked a debate, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had said the youth should be taught patriotic slogans.
Ramdev also said that people should be ashamed of talking such things and should give respect to their motherland.
“There are a few organisations which say chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ is against their religion. How can it be? If any religion says that do not honour the motherland, such a religion is also not in the interest of this country,” he said, referring to Islamic seminary Darul Uloom Deoband fatwa against chanting of 'Bharat Mata Ki jai' which mentioned that the slogan goes against the tenets of Islam.
