On Saturday (27th February), the Supreme Court imposed a temporary ban on Patanjali Ayurved’s advertisements until further order. The court also issued a contempt notice to its founders Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna for flouting the court’s November orders regarding the ‘misleading claims advertisements’ of Patanjali Ayurved products.
BIG BREAKING: Supreme Court imposes a COMPLETE BAN on Patanjali advertisements after SC came down heavily upon Baba Ramdev and Patanjali for 'false and misleading' ads. Notice for contempt of court issued to Patanjali and Acharya Balakrishnan.#SupremeCourt #Patanjali pic.twitter.com/yFsIT0ZZ2h
— Law Today (@LawTodayLive) February 27, 2024
A bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah stated that Patanjali has duped the country by making misleading claims that its medicines can cure various diseases despite the lack of scientific evidence.
The Court also questioned the Union Government on what action it had taken under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 about Patanjali’s advertisements.
“The entire country has been taken for a ride! For two years you wait when the Drugs Act says this is prohibited?” Justice Amanullah said to Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj.
While acknowledging that deceptive advertisements are unacceptable, the Centre’s law officer emphasised that it is up to the concerned States to take action under the Act. The apex court asked the central government to submit an affidavit outlining what steps it has taken.
The Supreme Court today ruled that Patanjali cannot advertise or market any of its medicinal products that claim to heal conditions listed in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act.
The Supreme Court slammed the Patanjali group while hearing an Indian Medical Association (IMA) petition about ‘misinformation against Allopathy’.
Furthermore, the Court warned Patanjali Ayurved against making any adverse statements about any medical system. The case will be heard after two weeks.
Senior Advocate PS Patwalia, representing the Indian Medical Association, alleged that the day after the Supreme Court issued the ruling, on the 21st of November last year, Baba Ramdev and Patanjali conglomerate’s Managing Director Acharya Balakrishna of Patanjali held a press conference and made deceptive claims again.
SC slams Patanjali Ayurved for ads against modern medicines
As reported earlier, on 21st November 2023, a Supreme Court bench of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra had pulled up Patanjali Ayurved for “publishing misleading claims and advertisements against modern systems of medicine”
The bench had 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,” Justice Amanullah said back then.
However, a day later, Baba Ramdev called a press conference and 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. 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,” Baba said adding that if Patanjali is a liar, it should be fined Rs 1000 crores.
