During a Supreme Court hearing regarding misleading advertisements, Patanjali Ayurved stated that it had issued an apology in 67 newspapers, expressing its respect for the court and vowing not to repeat the mistakes. The court, however, questioned whether the size of the apology matched the full-page advertisements for its products.

Patanjali published an apology acknowledging the error of publishing advertisements and conducting a press conference after their advocates had made a statement in court. Claiming that the advertisements cost Rs 10 lakh, Patanjali faced scrutiny over the timing of the apology, which was issued just before the Supreme Court hearing.

Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked Patanjali to submit the cutouts of the advertisements to ascertain their actual size. Emphasizing the importance of readability, the court expressed the need to ensure that advertisements are not so small as to require a microscope to read.

Baba Ramdev and his aide Acharya Balkrishna were present in court during the proceedings. The court instructed Patanjali to provide the ads in their original size for examination, emphasizing the importance of readability for effective communication.

Last week, the Supreme Court had cautioned Ramdev against any attempts to denigrate allopathy and directed Patanjali to issue a public apology within a week. In addition, the court flagged misleading health claims made by other FMCGs, expressing concern over their impact on public health, especially among vulnerable groups.

The court deemed it necessary to involve the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to assess government measures aimed at preventing abuse of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act. Additionally, the court sought clarification from the Centre regarding a letter issued by the AYUSH Ministry instructing states not to take action against the advertisement of AYUSH products.

The Supreme Court adjourned the matter until April 30, as it continues to address a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali against modern medicine.

“Do not enlarge them and supply it to us. We want to see the actual size… we want to see that when you issue an ad it does not mean we have to see it by a microscope. It is not meant to be on papers but also read,” the court further said.

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