The controversy began when Gujrathi shared a selfie with his family on Doctor’s Day, captioning it- “Happy Doctor’s Day to my entire family.” In response to a user’s query about their medical backgrounds, Gujrathi mentioned that his father is an Ayurvedic migraine specialist, his wife has an MD in homoeopathy, his mother practices cosmetology, and his sister is a physiotherapist.

However, the post quickly took a contentious turn when Dr. Philips responded sharply, “I’m sorry, but none of them are really doctors,” effectively rejecting the recognition of Ayurveda, homeopathy, and cosmetology as legitimate forms of medical science. The comment ignited widespread backlash, particularly from supporters of traditional and alternative medicine.