MUMBAI:Actress and gay activist Celina Jaitley is up in arms against Baba Ramdev. The yoga guru, who has petitioned against de-criminalising homosexuality, recently said the actress had no idea of “Bharatiya sanskriti” or Indian culture since “she lived away from her parents and changed boyfriends every month”.

He argued, “Woh toh har mahine partners badalti hai ussey bharatiya sanskriti ke baarey me mein kya maaloom?”

Celina warns that his words can be deemed to insult the modesty of a woman under Article 509 of the Indian Penal Code, which says, “Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.”

Celina is clearly annoyed. “It is because of self-proclaimed leaders like him that the whole image of the modern women takes a beating.”

The actress insists she is quite familiar with Indian culture. Celina says: “I am the fifth generation of an Army family. Many of my family members have laid down their lives to protect the country. Every drop of their blood has gone into serving the nation. I have the right to protect the integrity of the women in India.

- I also won the coveted Miss India title in the year 2001.

- Although I have studied science and computers, I have acquired almost 80% of my education in Hindi medium from Kendriya Vidyalaya.

- And ironically, I have learnt Sanskrit as a subject till my10th grade.

- I have lived all life in the interiors of India. I am proficient in five Indian languages.

- I can recite 500 Sanskrit shlokas.

- I’m a yoga practitioner since the age of 14.”

The actress also says that despite her achievements, the great “Bramhachari” seems to know more about her “sex life” than she herself. “In any case, I can truly say that he is not a true yoga teacher,” says Celina.

“With all due respects, just because he is a yoga maestro, he cannot and does not have the qualification or the degree to diagnose any illness or disease without any medical background; this would fall under medical malpractice. He has the right to teach yoga and help people to use it to their benefit based on prior approval and diagnosis of a trained medical practitioner, but not to make a serious medical diagnosis based on religious beliefs and his own personal perspectives,” Celina adds.

As someone who represents the youth, Celina gives Baba Ramdev credit for contributing to a revival of yoga but adds that it doesn’t make him a “Samaj ka Thekedaar”. She says, “These people prefer to live in a cocooned thought process and don’t wish to come out of it. It’s people like him who mislead innocent followers into believing in a wrong image of the modern working woman, who are beaten mercilessly for going into a bar or a pub.”