Sunil Bansal, who headed the yoga business of yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved, died of Covid-19, the company said on Monday, adding, “He had no role in his allopathic treatment.” 57-year-old Bansal, who was the Vice President in the Dairy Division of Patanjali Ayurved Limited, died on 19 May. An expert in dairy science, Bansal joined Patanjali’s dairy business in January 2018, when the company announced its plans to sell packaged cow milk and other milk. Based on products including yogurt, buttermilk and cheese.
The Haridwar-based firm said in a statement, “He died on May 19 from Covid-19 at Rajasthan Hospital, Jaipur, where his wife is a senior health officer of the Rajasthan government.” He died at a time when Ramdev is raising controversy over his comments about allopathic medicines and Covid-19.
The statement also shows the same. “Patanjali had no role in his allopathic treatment, largely coordinated by his wife,” it said. “Though we were worried and asked his wife about his well being.” On Sunday, Ramdev was forced to withdraw a statement in a viral video clip in which he can be heard saying that “millions of people have died from taking allopathic medicines for Covid-19”. He can also be heard questioning some of the drugs being used to treat the disease.
This statement was strongly opposed by the doctors’ union, after which Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan asked him to withdraw the “very unfortunate” statement. On Bansal’s death, Patanjali said in a statement, “It is very unfortunate to lose a young energetic colleague who was a taskmaster.”