During a Supreme Court hearing on misleading advertisements, Patanjali Ayurved co-founder Baba Ramdev, along with the company’s top executive Acharya Balakrishna, and the central government faced reprimands. They were criticized for their actions regarding ads disparaging modern medicine and medical practitioners.
Ramdev and Balakrishna were chastised for filing improper versions of affidavits demanded by the court, while the government was questioned for not taking action against Patanjali despite its controversial ads. The court expressed dismay at the Ministry of AYUSH’s failure to address the issue promptly, especially during the critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This wasn’t the first time the government faced criticism on this matter. In February, the Supreme Court had rebuked them for inaction against misleading advertisements. The court urged immediate action and sought solutions to address the problem of misleading medical ads.
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The court also scrutinized Patanjali for their casual approach to filing an affidavit offering an apology for the ads. The court deemed the apology insufficient and even suggested the possibility of perjury. Despite previous orders, Patanjali allegedly continued to run misleading ads, which the court found unacceptable.
The Solicitor-General acknowledged the lapse in filing proper affidavits and offered to rectify the situation. However, the court reserved its decision on the matter.
Ramdev and Balakrishna were given one last chance to file proper affidavits within a week and were instructed to be present at the next hearing on April 10. The contempt case against Patanjali Ayurved revolves around false claims made in its advertisements, particularly regarding the efficacy of its products and their medical benefits. The case was initiated following a petition by the Indian Medical Association, which accused Ramdev of running a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine.
