Patanjali Ayurved is no stranger to the concept of boycotts, having faced netizens wrath on multiple occasions. followers of BR Ambedkar and Periyar EV Ramasamy 'intellectual terrorists' to Patanjali’s CEO Acharya Balkrishna's links to Nepal - there have been several occasions over the last year or so. Now, people are once again calling for a boycott of Patanjali products, this time in conjunction with the ongoing farmer protests.
For those who've been living under a rock, hundreds of farmers have gathered in and around Delhi to protest against three recently passed Farm Acts. Representatives from these groups have already held six rounds of talks with Union Ministers without arriving at a consensus. The farmers remain insistent that the laws be repealed, and have taken efforts to intensify their agitation. On Tuesday, the protests entered their 20th day.
But what does this have to do with Patanjali Ayurved? And why is #BoycottPatanjali one of the top trends on Twitter at present, with over 21,000 posts at the time of writing this article?
The call to action comes from several verified Twitter handles including that of the Tribal Army and its founder Hansraj Meena. "We Stand With Farmers. #BoycottPatanjali" the Tribal Army tweeted on Tuesday morning. Meena echoed the sentiment in another tweet.
Others including the National Secretary of National Students Union of India and the national spokesperson of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party have also tweeted out their support for the trend.
From what we know thus far, this trend is not a retaliation against any specific recent action by the company. Rather, this appears to be a diatribe against the company and its practices as a whole. While some have alleged that Patanjali enjoys the fruits of farmers' labour, others appear to be incensed by the fact that the company has kept mum in recent days.
Many have also taken this as an opportunity to bring out recent controversies involving Patanjali - from their COVID-19 'cure' to allegations that they're selling adulterated honey.
Take a look at some of the remarks:
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