When the incident came up on social media, some netizens started accusing the guru of promoting misogyny and of having a patriarchal mindset.
— Alka Jacob (@AlkaJacob) July 4, 2019
— Hank Solo (@bipolarised) July 3, 2019
— The DeshBhakt (@akashbanerjee) July 3, 2019
Some users even questioned the doctors on why was such a ‘regressive’ personality was invited to a white collar event for doctors.
— Dr Siva Thambisetty (@SivaThambisetty) July 4, 2019
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The incident occurred as Swami Gyanvatsalya, a popular religious and spiritual guru, was invited to deliver a motivational speech organised by The Indian Medical Association (IMA) and All Rajasthan In Service Doctors Association (ARISDA).
During the event held in the city of Jaipur, women occupying the front three rows protested an abrupt announcement to shift to the back rows. The request was reportedly made by the management, at the request of the guru.
When women doctors started objecting to his request, Swami Gyanvatsalya left the venue without delivering his speech.
A source close to the guru said “Nothing was abrupt as the media has cited. The issue has unnecessarily been blown out of proportion.”
“Swamiji (respected guru) has had an old protocol which he has been following for many years. There was nothing new in the recent Jaipur event, and the organizers also were well informed about the protocol,” the source added.
The guru’s team cited his “traditional protocol” as the reason behind his walkout from the event.
— India Today (@IndiaToday) July 4, 2019
The event was being held in the Indian city of Jaipur, about 250 km from New Delhi, the national capital.
