Ramdev’s Patanjali takes down ‘Kimbho app’ within hours of launch: Twitterati roast ‘swadeshi messenger’

With the tagline ‘Ab Bharat Bolega (Now India will speak)’, yoga guru Ramdev's Kimbho app had promised to 'give competition' to WhatsApp and was touted as "our own #Swadeshimessagingplatform" that could be downloaded directly from Google's Play store.

Kimbho, Kimbho patanjali, Whatsapp Messaging app Kimbho, Messaging App Patanjali, Messaging App kimbho down, kimbho google store, kimbho cancel, kimbho baba ramdev, kimbho patanjali, Indian express, Indian express news

In the short time-span that Ramdev’s Patanjali had released the Kimbho app on the store, it generated a lot of buzz on social media.

Yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved group is back in news as it released the ‘swadeshi’ equivalent of WhatsApp messaging app, called ‘Kimbho’. The news was confirmed by Patanjali’s spokesperson SK Tijarawala, who took to his Twitter handle to declare the news. With the tagline ‘Ab Bharat Bolega (Now India will speak)’, the app had promised to ‘give competition’ to WhatsApp and was touted as “our own #Swadeshimessagingplatform” that could be downloaded directly from Google’s Play store. Only that, the app has been taken down already! In the short time-span that it was released on the store, it generated a lot of buzz on social media.

Especially on Twitter, people, amidst wondering what ‘Kimbho’ probably means, are claiming that the so-called messaging app was built on another app called ‘Bolo’. Some took screenshots of how the Kimbho team apparently did not even bother changing the OTP SMS format and even used the same images used by Bolo app while advertising their campaign.

अब भारत बोलेगा…!
पूज्य @yogrishiramdev @Ach_Balkrishna के मार्गदर्शन में उनके शिष्य नवदीक्षित साधुओं और राष्ट्रनिष्ठ विशेषज्ञों ने #स्वदेशी तकनीक से इजाद कर बनाया यह #KIMBHO एप#भारत #स्वाभिमान
Patanjali’s new app to challenge WhatsApp @bst_official https://t.co/hxBCbwdrnV

— tijarawala sk (@tijarawala) May 30, 2018

Check out some of the responses the app garnered, here.

With #KIMBHO one thing is clear that Ramdev is in full mood to come up with Indian version of Tinder called #SAMBHOG

— Ritik (@ritikkalra) May 30, 2018

I hope #KIMBHO will not ask me link my adhar card 🤔

— Bidita Bag (@biditabag) May 30, 2018

The irony here, Baba Ramdev’s app #Kimbho features callers from outside India, showing kids playing football with location shared of Fremont, CA. Also, the mobile carrier is AT&T 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/9STANgERfe

— Akshay (@TheWrenchMate) May 30, 2018

So the “Swadeshi” messaging app of #Patanjali, the #Kimbho, puts “AT&T” as the carrier name… Seriously?! pic.twitter.com/jWgcfnZpLM

— Ganesh Ramkumar (@grkthe1) May 30, 2018

I am in love with the app icon.. hats off to the designer. Very creative. 😂 #Kimbho

— Mehak sharma (@realmehaksharma) May 30, 2018

It is build on an app called “BOLO”. Kimbho team is so dumb that they didnt even changed the OTP SMS format!! Even the description n pics used are same as Bolo app! 😂 https://t.co/QKGjYC1y2J pic.twitter.com/40yRxZKbLX

— Abhishek Singh (@ThakurrSaab) May 31, 2018

ALSO READ | Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali is not launching a Swadeshi SIM with BSNL for everyone: Here’s what you need to know

The Twitter account of the app, however, announced that they “are in the process of upgrading our servers and will be back shortly”.

We are facing extremely high traffic on Kimbho. We are in process of upgrading our servers and will be back shortly.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Please stay tuned.#Kimbho #kimbhoApp #Swadeshi

— Kimbho Chat App (@KimbhoApp) May 31, 2018

This comes days after a press release from Ramdev’s Patanjali that declared a ‘tie-up’ with BSNL to give unlimited local and STD calls, roaming on all sectors, 100 SMSes free along with 2GB data per day, for employees of the telecom company and “members of Patanjali organisations like Bharat Swabhiman Nyas, Patanjali Yog Samiti, Mahila Prakostha, Yuva Bharat, Patanjali Kisan Seva and Patanjali Swadeshi Samriddhi cardholders”.