On Wednesday (22nd November), Yog Guru Baba Ramdev expressed displeasure over SC’s warning to Patanjali about making ‘false’ and ‘misleading’ claims in the commercials about its medicines as cures for various diseases. Ramdev Baba said that the medical mafia has been targeting him and running propaganda against him and the Ayurveda.
“SC said that if you do false propaganda, then you will be fined… We respect SC. But we are not doing any false propaganda. A few doctors have formed a group that continuously does propaganda against yoga, Ayurveda,” Baba said adding that if Patanjali is a liar, it should be fined Rs 1000 crores.
“We are also ready for the death penalty. But if we are not liars, then punish the ones who are spreading the false propaganda. For the past 5 years, propaganda has been going on targeting Ramdev and Patanjali,” he said.
#WATCH | Haridwar, Uttarakhand: Yog Guru Swami Ramdev says, "Since yesterday, on different media sites, one news story has gone viral that the Supreme Court (SC) reprimanded Patanjali. SC said that if you do false propaganda, then you will be fined… We respect SC. But we are… pic.twitter.com/goYHV337QM
— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2023
Addressing a press meeting on Wednesday (22nd November), Baba Ramdev further added that the few financially strong doctors are running propaganda against Patanjali for ‘curing’ the patients via Ayurveda. “Money cannot decide truth and lie. They (allopathy) may have more hospitals, doctors and their voices may be heard more, but we have the inheritance of the wisdom of sages, we are not poor,” he said.
VIDEO | "Money cannot decide truth and lie. They (allopathy) may have more hospitals, doctors and their voice may be heard more, but we have the inheritance of the wisdom of sages, we are not poor," says Baba Ramdev after Supreme Court cautions Patanjali Ayurved against making… pic.twitter.com/W1Kv2apfMQ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 22, 2023
The Supreme Court yesterday slammed Patanjali Ayurved for “publishing misleading claims and advertisements against modern systems of medicine”. A two-judge Supreme Court bench also issued a stern warning to the company stating that it would impose a Rs 1 crore fine on every product if the company made false claims that the product ‘cures’ a particular disease.
“All such false and misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately. The Court will take any such infraction very seriously, and the Court will also consider imposing costs to the extent of Rs. 1 crores on every product regarding which a false claim is made that it can “cure” a particular disease,” the bench led by Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra said.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against alleged misleading advertisements. In its writ petition, the IMA raised concerns which according to them are a “continuous, systematic, and unabated spread of misinformation” regarding allopathy and the modern system of medicine.
The bench also directed Patanjali that it must refrain from making casual statements in the press and shall not make any such advertisements in the future. However, the bench asserted that it did not wish to make the issue an “Allopathy v. Ayurveda” debate rather it wanted real solutions to the problem of misleading medical advertisements.
The bench has asked the Union government to come up with a viable solution to solve the problem of misleading medical advertisements. The next hearing in the case will now take place on 5th February 2024.
