The Supreme Court strongly rebuked the Uttarakhand government for its failure to address the legal transgressions of Patanjali Ayurved and rebuffed apologies from Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna regarding misleading advertisements.
Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanudding Amanullah expressed deep concerns about the countless innocent individuals who had been misled by the medicines, emphasizing the court’s steadfast commitment to holding FMCG companies accountable for their deceptive advertising practices.
They demanded swift action against officials who had neglected their duties, and they mandated responses from district Ayurvedic and Unani officers dating back to 2018. The court underscored the paramount importance of upholding its orders and dismissed the apologies, deeming them as deliberate acts of disobedience.
The affidavit submitted by the State Licensing Authority, attempting to explain its actions regarding objectionable ads, was sharply criticized for its lack of meaningful action. Despite previous apologies, new ones were tendered promising compliance with the law, yet the court remained skeptical, underscoring the gravity of the violations and their impact on its directives.