Laws ‘archaic’ but ‘regret’ the ads: Patanjali, MD Balakrishnan apologise to SC for misleading ads

Baba Ramdev-owned Patanjali Ayurved and its managing director Acharya Balkrishna have tendered an “unconditional apology” to the Supreme Court for the company’s misleading advertisements, Hindustan Times reported.

The apology comes a day after the top court ordered Balkrishna and Ramdev to appear before the court in person. The two had earlier failed to reply to a show cause notice issued in the contempt proceedings against Patanjali for its “misleading ads”.

Balkrishna’s “short affidavit” said he regrets the ads containing “offending sentences”, and that the claims were included in the ads “inadvertently”. He said the department that issued the ads was unaware of the court order. 

However, the affidavit also said the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954 was “archaic”. The letter said that Patanjali  purportedly “possesses evidence-based scientific data with clinical research conducted in Ayurveda, which would demonstrate the advances made through scientific research in the context of diseases mentioned in the Schedule to the 1954 Act.” It is unclear what this “evidence-based scientific data” is.

According to Bar and Bench, the affidavit also said the “intention” had only been to “exhort the citizens of this country to lead a healthier life by consuming products” and to “reduce the burden on the country’s healthcare infrastructure”.

The Supreme Court on March 19 said Ramdev and Balkrishna had violated sections 3 and 4 of the Drug and Magic Remedies Act. Earlier, the court had imposed a temporary ban on Patanjali’s  ads, saying that the “entire country is taken for a ride”. It had also come down heavily on the Modi government for inaction. 

Newslaundry had earlier reported that Ramdev deceptively sold Coronil as cure for Covid during the pandemic. Read here. The self-styled yoga guru, who has established a gigantic retail empire, has been riding on the shoulders of Big Media. Read about it here.