‘Lip service, impunity’: SC slams Patanjali over apology affidavit, questions Centre role

The Supreme Court on Tuesday slammed the Baba Ramdev-owned Patanjali Ayurved over its affidavit that its media wing was not aware of the court having ordered the company to stop its misleading advertisements, Bar and Bench reported.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah was hearing a petition by the Indian Medical Association against an alleged smear campaign by Patanjali and Ramdev against the Covid vaccination drive and modern medicine. 

Patanjali Ayurved and its managing director Acharya Balkrishna had on March 21 tendered an unconditional apology over its advertisements after the court imposed a temporary ban on such advertisements and issued contempt of court notices to the company and Balkrishna. On March 19, the court had directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to be personally present before it after they failed to file a reply to the show-cause notice in the contempt proceedings. They were present in court today.

“We can say that we do not wish to accept that the media department does not know about what is happening in this court and it is an island. This is more of a lip service! ... You violated the solemn undertaking with impunity. We are not willing to accept this and this is perfunctory! What is the reason to accept your apology?” Justice Kohli remarked, according to Bar and Bench.

The bench said that Patanjali also appeared to be guilty of perjury. “You said documents have been attached, but the documents were created later on. This is a clear case of perjury! We are not closing the doors on you but we are telling all that we have noted,” Justice Kohli said, according to Bar and Bench.

The bench also criticised Ramdev over his press conference.

The court asked why the Centre, represented in court by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, failed to publicise its position that ayurvedic products were just a supplement. 

“We have questions for AYUSH. You issued notice to Patanjali and they filed a reply and reply is not before us and we are wondering why. Covid was in 2022 and you had yourself stated that these were at best a supplement to the main medicine. This was not publicised at all. Nothing could move without Central go-ahead during Covid and you did nothing to make this known. It was a critical period,” Justice Kohli observed, according to Bar and Bench.

The court said Ramdev and Balkrishna must appear before the court on the next hearing too on April 10, when Patanjali and its management have been ordered to file a better affidavit of their apology.

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.