Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the proceedings in multiple cases lodged against him in various states over his alleged remarks on the efficacy of allopathy in the treatment of COVID-19, Bar and Bench reported.

Ramdev has also sought protection from coercive actions in FIRs lodged by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). Ramdev reportedly sought a stay on the proceedings in FIRs lodged by the IMA in Patna and Raipur branches and asked for a transfer of the FIRs to a Delhi court.

He has been booked under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) of the IPC and other provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

However, on May 23, Baba Ramdev withdrew his statements on allopathic medicine after receiving a strong-worded letter from Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who called his remarks "inappropriate."

Ramdev called allopathy “a stupid science" following which the IMA had filed a Rs 10 crore defamation suit against him.

The Resident Doctors' Associations of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Safdarjung Hospital too condemned Ramdev's statement and demanded that "strictest steps" be taken against him.

Reacting to the controversy, Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust issued a statement, denying the comments, and said, "It is clarified that the truncated version of the video is totally out of context of what is sought to be conveyed by Swami jee."

With PTI inputs