Delhi sessions court has warned Indian Medical Association’s President Dr.Johnrose Austin Jayalal against using the organisation for propagating religion. While hearing a suit filed against him for propagating Christianity using his position, the court ruled that the platform cannot be used to propagate any individual’s views on any religion.
IMA chief in his interview to Christianity Today had said that he ‘desires to encourage young medical students and doctors to receive Jesus as their personal saviour’. He had also said that the centre is trying to replace allopathy with Ayurveda and with him as its head IMA has been targeting Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev and Ayurveda discrediting their achievements. The plea filed by Rohit Jha asked for a restraining order against the IMA chief from writing, speaking in the media, or publishing any content that is defamatory to Hindu Dharma or Ayurveda.
Warning Jayalal against using the platform for propagation of a particular faith, the court said that ‘it becomes a bounden duty of every Indian to honour the religion of each other’. It also warned against overreaching his position by forcing or creating circumstances where people are lured and forced into consent (to change religion). Criticising Jayalal’s comment that ‘Allopathy is a gift of the western world and that Allopathy and Christianity are the same’, the judge termed it an inaccurate assertion, as Sushruta, the Bharatiya sage is considered as the god of surgery which is an inherent aspect of Allopathy.
The judge wrote that the responsibility of keeping secularism, the fundamental aspect of the constitution, lies with not just one community but must be a cumulative effort of all Bharatiyas. He also observed that the exclusive promotion of a particular faith by an institution defies the secular character of the constitution. While hearing about the comments Jayalal made against Ayurveda, the judge said that “Every form of treatment is important, having its own benefits and drawbacks depending upon circumstances” and that such loose comments should not come from those who chair responsible positions.
(Featured Image Source: Facebook)
Did you like this article? We’re a non-profit. Make a donation and help pay for our journalism.
HinduPost is now on Telegram. For the best reports & opinion on issues concerning Hindu society, subscribe to HinduPost on Telegram.