Baba Ramdev posts old video of Akshay Kumar vouching for Ayurveda’s superiority over ‘chemical injections’

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev shared an old video of actor Akshay Kumar talking about Ayurveda, and saying that there is no illness that the ‘traditional Indian medicine system’ does not have a cure for. Posting parts of the clip on his Twitter account, Ramdev wrote in Hindi, “Become the brand ambassador of your own body. Live a simple and healthy life, and let us show the world that our Yoga and Ayurveda is more powerful than any foreign chemical injection – Akshay Kumar.”

In the video, originally posted in 2017, Akshay talked about spending a few days in an Ayurveda Ashram and described it as nothing short of a heavenly experience. He said that he has been following Ayurveda for the last 25 years.

Akshay said that Ayurveda was a treasure given to India by God and lamented that the citizens do not value it enough. “Hum Angrezi dawai ki goliyaan kha kar, protein shake pee kar aur steroid ke injection lekar jeene ko jeena samajh rahe hai (We think foreign medicines, protein shakes and steroid injections are essential for survival),” he said. He added that while he is not against allopathic medicines and treatment, he questioned why ‘traditional medicine’ was being overlooked.

Akshay said that some Ayurvedic medicines are adulterated, with lead and arsenic added to them, but maintained that going to an ‘authentic’ place will reap benefits. “Main shart lagane ko taiyaar hoon ki aapke shareer mein aisa koi bimaari nahi hai jiska ilaaj humare traditional Indian medicine system mein na ho (I can bet that there is no illness that our traditional Indian medicine system does not have a cure for),” he said.

Not only is Ayurveda natural but also ‘scientific’, Akshay said, adding that even though the ‘best’ treatments exist in our country, we go abroad in search of treatment. Meanwhile, foreigners come to India to heal themselves, he said.

Akshay clarified that he has not been signed as a brand ambassador for an Ayurveda company or centre. “Yeh baatein main khud ke body ka brand ambassador ban ke keh raha hoon. Aur main chahta hoon ki aaj se, vinti karta hoon ki aap sab bhi apne body ke brand ambassador khud bane. Simple aur healthy life jeena seekhein. Aur dikha dete hai iss duniya ko ki humare Ayurveda aur yoga jaise Hindustani tareekon mein jo taakat hai, woh kisi Angrez ke chemical injections mein nahi hai. Kar ke dekho yaar. Meri guarantee hai ki meri tarah har subah ek smile ke saath uthoge (I am saying these things as the brand ambassador of my own body. I urge you all to become the brand ambassadors of your own body. Live a simple and healthy life, and let us show the world that our Yoga and Ayurveda is more powerful than any foreign chemical injection. Try it out. I guarantee that you will wake up every morning with a smile, just like me),” he said.

Also read | Kamaal R Khan calls Salman Khan ‘gunda’: ‘I promise to destroy your career and make you TV actor’

Ramdev has been at the centre of a controversy after he said that thousands of doctors had succumbed to Covid-19 despite getting vaccinated. He later retracted the comments following the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Union health minister’s objections.