Baba Ramdev apologizes to Supreme Court in misleading ads case
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna appeared in the Supreme Court on Tuesday in the "misleading advertisements" case. This came weeks after the apex court's issuance of show cause notices to them, questioning why contempt proceedings shouldn't be initiated against the two. The Supreme Court strongly rebuked them for non-compliance with its directives, warning Ramdev to be "ready for action." Subsequently, Ramdev issued an unconditional apology to the court for failing to follow its directives.
Why does this story matter?
On February 27, the SC directed Patanjali to immediately halt all electronic and print advertisements containing "misleading information" about its products. It also came down heavily on the Centre for not taking any action against the false advertisements by the company. The court criticized the government, saying it was "sitting with its eye closed." This came after the court's warning to Patanjali in November 2023—while hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association—against making "misleading" claims in advertisements.
Balkrishna's earlier apology in court rejected
On March 19, the court pulled up the company for failing to respond to a contempt notice in the case and ordered Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear before it. Two days later, Balkrishna apologized to the apex court for his company's misleading claims about its products and their medicinal efficacy. On Tuesday, a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah refused to accept the apology tendered last month. "We are not happy with your apology," the top court said.
Court asks Ramdev to abide by his company's undertaking
The SC asked Ramdev to abide by his company's undertaking given to the court. "You have broken every barrier," the court observed. "This is absolute defiance. Not just SC, every order passed by courts across the country has to be respected," the court added. In November 2023, Patanjali Ayurved had assured the top court that it would not violate any law, especially the laws relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it.
Balkrishna's apology to SC
Last month, in his affidavit, Balkrishna offered an "unqualified apology" and pledged that such advertisements would not be circulated in the future. He also said that Patanjali's objective is to inspire citizens to adopt healthier lifestyles by using their products—which are supported by Ayurvedic research. He added that the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, which bans advertisements promoting magic cure claims, is "archaic." Balkrishna asserted that Patanjali now holds "evidence-based scientific data" from clinical research conducted in Ayurveda.
IMA highlights disparaging statements in advertisements
To recall, the IMA in its petition had highlighted several ads that allegedly depicted allopathy and doctors negatively. The IMA argued that the "disparaging" statements were made by firms producing ayurvedic medicines, intending to mislead the public. The counsel for the IMA pointed out that these advertisements implied that medical practitioners themselves were dying despite taking modern medicines. The top court had previously asked the counsel representing the Centre to find a solution for misleading medical advertisements.
