Patanjali case: SC tells Modi govt to publicise complaints against misleading ads of medicines

The Supreme Court has suggested that the Ayush ministry should create a centralised dashboard to publicise and track the progress of complaints filed against misleading advertisements on medicinal or allied healthcare products, Bar and Bench reported.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta reportedly noted that there were several hurdles to monitor the progress of such complaints, especially when such complaints are forwarded by state licensing authorities from one state to another. It said this impacted information on the action taken and subsequently the prosecution under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

The court was hearing a case filed by the Indian Medical Association against Patanjali Ayurved and its promoters, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, for publishing misleading advertisements targeting allopathic medicine. 

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.