SC rebukes Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna for filing misleading ads by Patanjali

New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) The Supreme Court slammed Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved’s Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna for submitting improper affidavits in response to a contempt notice for airing misleading advertisements. The court criticized Patanjali’s media department for not honoring its commitment made last year.

Patanjali had assured the court to refrain from making false claims about the medicinal properties of its products and not violate any laws in its advertising. However, the bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah did not excuse Ramdev and Balkrishna from appearing in court for the next hearing.

The Indian Medical Association has demanded action against Patanjali for violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. This act prohibits advertising products for diseases like diabetes, heart diseases, high or low blood pressure, and obesity. Several FIRs have been filed against Ramdev for his controversial remarks on allopathic treatment for Covid-19.

In a video, Ramdev claimed, “More people have died due to allopathic medicines than due to lack of medical oxygen or shortage of beds.” The Supreme Court’s stern stance against Patanjali and its executives reflects the importance of ethical advertising practices and adherence to laws governing healthcare advertisements. The duo is expected to face consequences for their actions in the upcoming hearings.