Patanjali Apologizes To Supreme Court For Misleading Advertisements: Contempt Case Continues

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, co-founder and Managing Director of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd., apologized to the Supreme Court on Tuesday for publishing misleading advertisements and making derogatory comments about allopathic medicines. Ramdev expressed remorse, acknowledging their past mistakes and assuring the court of their future vigilance. Balkrishna echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that their conduct was unintentional.

Appearing before the bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Patanjali, conveyed their readiness to publicly apologize and demonstrate contrition. Personally interacting with Ramdev and Balkrishna, the bench observed their willingness to take corrective measures and adjourned the matter till April 23 for further consideration.

Despite the apologies, the court cautioned that they were not absolved of responsibility yet. Justice Kohli criticized Ramdev for his “irresponsible behavior,” reminding him of the seriousness of the issue. The court highlighted the damaging impact of their past actions and expressed reluctance to immediately accept their apologies.

The contempt case stemmed from a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) regarding a smear campaign against the Covid-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine. Patanjali and its founders faced criticism for misleading advertisements of their products. The court had previously rejected their apologies and admonished them for the deceptive marketing tactics.

During the hearing, the bench reiterated the illegality of advertising medicines as specific cures for diseases, emphasizing that such claims are prohibited. Justice Amanullah emphasized the importance of upholding the law and warned against degrading allopathy while promoting alternative products.

Despite Ramdev and Balkrishna’s apologies, the court remained skeptical, questioning the sincerity of their remorse. The bench directed them to appear again on April 23 for further deliberations.

Earlier, the court had chastised the Uttarakhand government for its laxity in taking action against Patanjali for the misleading advertisements. It had also instructed Patanjali to refrain from disseminating false advertisements and subsequently issued contempt notices when these directives were disregarded.

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