Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna appear before Supreme Court in misleading advertisements case

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved’s Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna arrived at the Supreme Court on Wednesday to attend the hearing relating to misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved.

Yesterday, Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court and tendered an unconditional apology regarding the case, and added that they will uphold the majesty of law and justice.
In an affidavit filed before the top court, Ramdev said, “I seek pardon for the aforesaid breach of the statement. I undertake to always uphold the majesty of Law and majesty of Justice.”

Ramdev informed the top court that he sincerely regrets the lapse and wishes to ensure that the same will not be repeated in the future. He also undertook and ensured that the statement shall be complied with in letter and spirit and no such similar advertisements shall be issued.

Ramdev further tendered an unconditional and unqualified apology for the press conference held on November 22 last year.

Acharya Balkrishna said that he undertakes to ensure that such offending advertisements shall not be issued in the future and he will be more vigilant ahead.

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court asked Yog guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna to file fresh affidavits within a week in a matter pertaining to misleading advertisements by the Patanjali Ayurveda.

A bench of justices, Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, listed the matter for further hearing on April 10 and directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear before it.

Earlier, Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishnan tendered unconditional apology before the Supreme Court for violating the apex court’s order for misleading advertisements of Patanjali’s medicinal products.

However, the court took strong exception on the apology tendered by both of them and said that they have violated the undertakings given to the top court so that they are taking it seriously.

The court was dealing with an Indian Medical Association plea seeking to frame guidelines for prohibiting false and misleading advertisements in relation to allopathy and modern medicine.

IMA, in his plea, had sought to pass an order directing the Centre and others to immediately take strict and prompt action, in accordance with law, 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 by the repeated acts of omission and commission of Respondent Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. including by publishing advertisements all over the country making illegal and prohibited claims.