The Supreme Court on Tuesday slammed yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna of Patanjali for filing inappropriate affidavits in connection with misleading advertisements for Patanjali's medicinal products.
Both Ramdev and Balkrishna appeared in person before the SC's two-judge bench, headed by Justice Hima Kohli and also comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, complying with the SC's earlier order asking them to do so.
Although, Ramdev had tendered an unconditional apology before the SC for violating its order, the court expressed serious dissatisfaction with the language used by him in his affidavit.
"You cannot write anything and get away. Sorry we are not so magnanimous," the apex court told Ramdev. It, however, in a goodwill gesture, granted one more last opportunity to Baba Ramdev and Achaya Balkrishna to file their respective proper responses in the matter and posted the case for further hearing to April 10.
The top court also directed both of them to appear again on the next date in the case.
It was hearing the petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), alleging that Patanjali Ayurveda's advertisements, which claimed to cure certain diseases including blood pressure, diabetes and asthma, amounted to misinformation. "It is completely wrong to advertise on such kind of diseases and to cure such diseases," the IMA said.
Patanjali Ayurveda had tendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court while complying with its notice asking it to show cause why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated for allegedly flouting an undertaking given to the top court on November 21, 2023.
The affidavit filed by Acharya Balkrishna before the top court said that he “regrets that the advertisement in question which was meant to contain only general statements inadvertently included the offending sentences”.
An dissatisfied Supreme Court had earlier taken strong exception to Patanjali Ayurveda and its MD for not filing their reply to its notices on 'violating' an undertaking on misleading advertising products, directing Ramdev and Balkrishna to be personally present before it on Tuesday.
In a hearing on February 27, the top court had imposed a temporary ban on advertisements of Patanjali Ayurveda's medicines and issued contempt notices to its founders Ramdev and Balkrishna for making misleading claims.
Citing the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954, the Supreme Court had restrained the company from issuing advertisements relating to various diseases including blood pressure, diabetes and asthma.
