The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on Baba Ramdev for violating its directives on misleading advertisements of Patanjali's medicinal products even as the yoga guru, who was present in court, tendered an unconditional apology.
Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved managing director Acharya Balkrishna were directed to appear in person in the Supreme Court in the contempt proceedings related to the misleading advertisements case.
"We are tendering an unconditional apology. He (Baba Ramdev) is here personally present to apologise," the advocate representing Patanjali told the court.
The court, however, called it "lip service" and said that Patanjali "owes an apology to the whole nation" for their false claims about the efficacy of its products like Coronil and denigrating allopathy during the Covid pandemic. "You have broken every barrier... Now you say that you are sorry," the court said.
The Supreme Court also pulled up the Centre. "Wondering why the Union chose to keep its eyes shut when Patanjali was going to town saying there was no remedies for Covid in allopathy," the court said.
The Supreme Court granted a "last opportunity" to Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna, asking them to file fresh affidavits within a week.
The court also warned Ramdev and Balkrishna of perjury charges while noting that the documents submitted with the affidavit by Patanjali were created later on. "This is a clear case of perjury. We are not closing the doors on you, but we are telling you all that we have noted," the court further said.
In the last hearing, the Supreme Court had pulled up Patanjali for failure in filing replies to the court's notices on why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for prima facie violating the undertaking given to the court.
The Supreme Court had expressed its anger over Patanjali continuing to publish "false and misleading" advertisements on medicinal cures despite an undertaking that it would halt doing so.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah had also issued a notice to Ramdev to show cause why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.
The top court had also directed Patanjali to stop all advertisements of its products that it claimed to treat ailments and disorders specified in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
"How can you be in teeth of our orders?... We had our hands tied earlier but not now (with initiation of contempt proceedings)," the court had told senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Patanjali Ayurved.
The top court made the remarks while hearing a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) seeking action against Baba Ramdev for criticising modern medicine.
After the Supreme Court rap, Patanjali Ayurved, in an affidavit, tendered an unconditional apology, stating that Patanjali's intention was only to exhort the citizens of this country to lead a healthier life by using its products.
In November 2023, the Supreme Court asked Patanjali Ayurved to stop misleading claims and advertisements against the modern system of medicine. Patanjali had assured the court that it would not make any statements or unsubstantiated claims.
(Courtesy:- India Today, 2 April 2024)
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