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Yoga guru Swami Ramdev on Sunday sought to play down his ongoing war of words with BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, saying he did not want to escalate the matter and would refrain from further comments.
"I don't want to escalate the matter, the country knows who is Swami Ramdev, what is my contribution, that is why I don't want to comment on such people," Ramdev said. The latest comments come amid a public exchange between Ramdev and Ranaut that began after the BJP MP's controversial remarks about Gen Z and young protesters. Ranaut had described the generation as "Generation Gutter", drawing criticism from several quarters. Ramdev subsequently criticised her remarks and questioned her views on the younger generation. The exchange escalated after Ranaut hit back at Ramdev on social media, objecting to his comments about her personal life and character. She accused him of crossing a line by commenting about her youth and private life. Apart from the controversy, Ramdev also spoke about Vande Mataram, describing Bharat Mata as a central object of his faith and devotion. "We regard Bharat Mata as Durga, as Lakshmi; she is our faith, our knowledge, our temple, and the one who protects and empowers us. She is supreme for us, and she is our ultimate object of devotion and aspiration. Those who see references to goddesses, deities, monasteries or temples in 'Vande Mataram' seem, in my view, to be disconnected from our culture. They should study Sanskrit a little more and develop a better understanding of its meaning. For us, Bharat Mata is our knowledge, our faith, our temple, our worship, our duty, our purpose, our destination, our religion and our everything..." Ramdev also emphasised the need for continued reforms in the country, saying the government was working on areas including education, healthcare, the economy and agriculture. "Reforms are needed in the education system, healthcare system, economy, agriculture and various aspects of democracy. The government is working in these areas, and more work will continue in the future. However, some people seem to believe that nothing good is happening in the country. They are even involving five, seven, and ten-year-old children in protests, asking them to surround police stations, gherao SPs and district magistrates, and stand on the streets..."(ANI)
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