The Supreme Court has summoned Yog guru Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved MD Acharya Balkrishna to appear before it at the next hearing due to their failure to respond to contempt notices. This action stems from a false advertising case against Patanjali Ayurved.
In a related development, last month, the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice to Patanjali Ayurved and Acharya Balkrishna regarding 'misleading advertisements' on various media platforms.
The apex court criticised Patanjali for disseminating 'misleading' adverts and prohibited the company from advertising any products related to diseases or medical conditions.
Granting three weeks for Patanjali Ayurved and Acharya Balkrishna to respond to the contempt notice, the Supreme Court sternly remarked that the "entire country was being taken for a ride."
This isn't the first instance of the top court cautioning Patanjali against advertising products purported to "cure" diseases.
In November 2023, the Supreme Court cautioned the company, threatening a fine of Rs 1 crore if it continued making false claims about its products' ability to "cure" specific illnesses. The bench also criticised the Union government for its failure to address Patanjali's advertisements.
Referencing this previous warning in February, the Supreme Court expressed dissatisfaction, stating, "Despite our prior caution, you persist in claiming your products are superior to chemical-based medicines."
Senior advocate PS Patwalia, representing the Indian Medical Association (IMA), brought attention to a press conference held by Ramdev, where Patanjali Ayurved's advertisements claiming to cure ailments like asthma and diabetes were highlighted. Patwalia also referenced a defamation case filed by Patanjali Ayurved against the Advertising Council.
Additionally, Patanjali published an advert titled: "Misconceptions spread by allopathy: Save yourself and the country from the misconceptions spread by pharma and medical industry." The Supreme Court responded by stating that advertisements suggesting cures for diseases such as diabetes and asthma cannot be justified.
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