Ramdev accepts challenge, says he will cure gay prince

Baba Ramdev, renowned yoga guru, has picked up the gauntlet thrown to him by Manvendra Singh Gohil, the gay prince of the erstwhile state of Rajpipla.

Manvendra Singh had challenged Baba to ‘cure’ him of his homosexuality, and on Monday, during his visit to the city, the yoga guru declared: "I am ready to cure him and invite him to join my yoga training camp." He also claimed that it has been proved that homosexuality was a mental disorder and could be healed through yoga.

In the battle of words between two very public personalities, Manvendra told DNA that his (Baba Ramdev’s) fundamentals of yoga were weak as he was not following the first step of Ashtang Yoga — the acceptance of truth.

On the other hand Baba Ramdev, who was here to attend the executive committee meeting of Patanjali Yogapith and Bharat Swabhiman, said that homosexuality was against the laws of nature and could not be advocated in the name of right to life and liberty as it would harm society at large. "If homosexuality is given protection of law, the cases of child abuse would rise," the Baba said.

On the other hand, Manvendra Singh Gohil alleged that Baba Ramdev’s foundations of yoga were very weak. "The first step of Asthang Yoga is acceptance of facts of life. I have been practising yoga for 25 years and have experience of 18 years as a qualified yoga teacher," he said. He added that he had been living this life for a long time and he (Baba Ramdev) instead of accepting it as fact, considers it as a disease. 

"Let him try out - we’ll see who cures whom," asserted Gohil.  He also said that yoga had made him more confident. "I am proud to be what I am," the prince said.