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The New York Times, in a recent feature, drew an uncanny parallel between Baba Ramdev and US President Donald Trump, further suggesting that the yoga guru could be next in line to become India's Prime Minister.
Juxtaposing Ramdev with Trump, the article read, “Like Trump, he heads a multibillion-dollar empire. And like Trump, he is a bombastic TV personality whose relationship with truth is elastic; he cannot resist a branding opportunity — his name and face are everywhere in India.”
The feature emphasised on Ramdev's role during 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, claiming that his "tacit endorsement" helped Prime Minister Narendra Modi come to power.
Touting him "a prominent voice on the Hindu right", the daily proclaimed him to be "more powerful than any prime minister".
"He may be a wholly new breed: a populist tycoon, protected from critics (and even, to some extent, from the law) by a vast following and a claim to holy purpose,” the article read.
It also took into account Ramdev's achievements as a businessman in contrast to other "godmen" who syphon donations from wealthy followers.
“Ramdev is also the first godman to earn his millions as a businessman instead of just syphoning donations from wealthy followers. Patanjali has vaulted in just over a decade from a tiny operation into an economic powerhouse, with $1.6 billion in sales in the current fiscal year. Turn on a TV or glance at a billboard almost anywhere in India, and you are likely to see Ramdev advertising one of its products," it read.
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