Patanjali Ayurved misleading ads case: Yoga guru Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna appear in Supreme Court; firm releases fresh ads containing apology

Yoga guru Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna appeared in the Patanjali Ayurved misleading advertisements case in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, and submitted that they had issued an unqualified apology in newspapers for the lapses on their part. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Balkrishna, said the duo had on Monday published the apology in 67 newspapers across the nation.s

"Patanjali Ayurved fully respects the dignity of the Hon'ble Supreme Court. We sincerely apologize for the mistake of publishing advertisements and holding a press conference even after our advocates made a statement in the apex court. We are committed to not letting such a mistake be repeated ever in the future. We reassure you that we shall remain committed to upholding the Constitution and the dignity of the Hon'ble Supreme Court," read the Patanjali Ayurved ad. 

Tuesday's hearing in the matter comes roughly two weeks after the top court rejected separate affidavits of apology submitted by the yoga guru and Balkrishna. Earlier, the top court refused to accept apologies tendered by the Patanjali Ayurveda co-founder duo, stating that they were not convincing, and warned the yoga guru as well as the company of stern legal action for not complying with its directive to stop advertisements saying traditional ayurvedic medicines can fully cure some diseases.

Expressing dissatisfaction with an unconditional apology tendered in separate affidavits by Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved managing director Acharya Balkrishna the previous day, the bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said on April 10: "We decline to accept the affidavits...tendering apology. We don't want to be so generous in this case."

The court also warned Ramdev and Balkrishna of stern action over contempt of court.

The case relates to the Indian Medical Association's allegations that Patanjali Ayurved disparages conventional medicines and continued publishing ads that said traditional medicines offered a "permanent solution" for blood pressure and asthma, despite an assurance given to the top court last year to stop them. The IMA had sought to pass an order directing the Centre and others to immediately take strict and prompt action, in accordance with law, against Patanjali Ayurved for the violation of the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

What does Patanjali Ayurved do?

Patanjali Ayurved manufactures a host of products ranging from Ayurvedic medicine to nutraceuticals.

With inputs from agencies