The court has also issued summons to Yoga Guru Ramdev
BBN Bureau
New Delhi: Facing a summons from the Supreme Court for failing to respond to the court’s notice in a petition against it, Patanjali Ayurved and its Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna have submitted an official apology to the Supreme Court regarding its misleading advertisements targeting evidence-based medicine. The court has also issued summons to Yoga Guru Ramdev, who is the face of the company and makes most of the business decisions.
In its affidavit, Patanjali expressed the utmost respect for the rule of law and committed to abiding by it. The company stated that its media division was unaware of any court proceedings prohibiting such advertisements. Balkrishna assured the top court that such advertisements would not be released in the future. He emphasized that the company’s sole intention is to encourage citizens to adopt a healthier lifestyle by using products from Patanjali Ayurved.
The affidavit further claimed that Patanjali Ayurved products were backed by scientific research that was not available during the enactment of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940. Moreover, Balkrishna stated that Patanjali Ayurved products and Ayurveda itself were supported by knowledge in ancient literature.
Balkrishna affirmed that Patanjali would refrain from repeating misleading ads and that the firm’s intention was solely aimed at promoting Ayurveda.
The affidavit was filed in response to a plea by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which accused Patanjali and its founder Baba Ramdev of conducting a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine. In November 2023, the Supreme Court had warned Patanjali of heavy fines of up to Rs 1 crore for false claims made in its advertisements promoting products claiming to treat medical conditions such as BP, diabetes, fevers, epilepsy, and lupus.
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