SC summons Baba Ramdev in Patanjali's misleading ads case
The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up Patanjali Ayurved for failing to respond to a contempt notice in the "misleading advertisements" case and ordered co-founder and yoga guru Ramdev to appear before it. A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah has also summoned Patanjali's managing director, Acharya Balakrishna. On February 27, the SC came down heavily on the Centre for not taking any action against the misleading and false advertisements by the company.
Why does this story matter?
Earlier, the court had ordered Patanjali to immediately halt all electronic and print advertisements containing misleading information about its products. This came after the court's warning in November 2023 against making "false" and "misleading" claims in advertisements. Notably, on August 23, 2022, the SC issued notices to the Union health ministry and Ministry of Ayush and Patanjali Ayurved, on the plea of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by Ramdev against vaccination drives and modern medicine.
SC questions Patanjali's silence on 'violation of undertaking'
Last month, the Supreme Court pulled up Patanjali for prima facie violation of the undertaking it had given in the court about its products and statements claiming their medicinal efficacy. The court had issued a notice to Patanjali and Balakrishna, asking why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them. But Patanjali did not file any response to the notice. "Why haven't you filed your response yet?" the top court said on Tuesday.
IMA highlights disparaging statements in advertisements
The IMA 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.
Give us death penalty if false claims proven: Ramdev
After the SC's warning in November, Ramdev hit back saying that his company was not spreading false information. He claimed that Patanjali cures diseases like type 1 diabetes, thyroid issues, high blood pressure, and obesity through yoga, Ayurveda, and naturopathy. Talking about the SC's warning, he said that he respects the court, the country's law, and the Constitution. He instead challenged authorities, saying, "If we are spreading false claims... Give the death penalty."
IMA questioned government over 'Coronil'
In 2021, the IMA sharply criticized the government's promotion of an "unscientific" medicine for COVID-19. In a statement, the IMA questioned the then Union Health Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, over Coronil: the "first evidence-based medicine for COVID-19." To recall, Coronil, developed by Patanjali, was approved by the AYUSH Ministry as a "supporting measure in COVID-19."
