New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday tore into Patanjali Ayurved’s defence for putting out misleading advertisements, rejecting the apology from yoga guru Ramdev and the firm’s managing director Acharya Balkrishna as “lip service” and saying they had broken “every barrier”.
The bench, headed by Justice Hima Kohli, also questioned the Centre’s alleged inaction over Patanjali’s tall claims about the efficacy of its products and denigrating allopathy during the Covid peak and asked why the government chose to keep its “eyes shut”.
The bench posted the matter for hearing on April 10 and said both Ramdev and Balkrishna have to appear again.
“You have to abide by undertaking given to court and you have broken every barrier,” the bench said.
Sternly reprimanding Ramdev and his number two Balkrishna, Justice Kohli said the court was taking their apology with a “sack full of salt”. The bench also comprised Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, The apex court, which granted Ramdev and Balkrishna a last one week opportunity to file affidavits, took strong note of their “absolute defiance” in not adhering to the undertaking given before it in the case filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Patanjali Ayurved Ltd assured the top court on November 21 last year that it will not violate any law, especially those relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it. It also assured the bench that “no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form”.
The top court had said Patanjali Ayurved Ltd is “bound down to such assurance”. The non-observance of the specific undertaking and subsequent media statements irked the bench, which later issued notices to show cause why contempt proceedings should be not initiated against them.
PTI

Press Trust of India