The Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction with the unconditional apology tendered by yoga guru Ramdev, the founder of Patanjali, and Acharya Balkrishna, the managing director, in a case concerning ‘misleading’ advertisements. A bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah is presiding over the matter.

Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna had offered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” before the Supreme Court in a case involving allegations of a smear campaign against vaccines and modern medicine. Simultaneously, during the pandemic, representatives of the company claimed that Patanjali’s untested drug, Coronil, could cure COVID-19 infection, falsely asserting government certification.

In response to the court’s inquiries, former Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi, representing Patanjali, requested ten additional days to rectify the errors. The government, in its affidavit, reportedly cautioned against publicizing Coronil as a cure for the virus until the Ayush Ministry had examined its efficacy.

Ramdev’s legal team had previously assured the court in November 2023 that Patanjali would refrain from making any unsubstantiated statements regarding the effectiveness of its medicines, whether as advertisements or otherwise.

On March 19, the court directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear after admonishing the company for failing to respond to a notice regarding its products’ advertisements and medicinal efficacy. Despite this, on April 2, the court rebuffed Ramdev and Balkrishna’s apology as mere “lip service.”

The apex court is addressing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), alleging a smear campaign against vaccination efforts and modern medicine. It deemed it necessary to issue Ramdev a show cause notice, considering that advertisements issued by Patanjali contradicted the undertaking given to the court in November 2023, reflecting an endorsement by him.

By : Kruthiga V S

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