Renowned yoga guru Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna issued a fresh apology in leading newspapers on Wednesday, addressing concerns over misleading advertisements for Patanjali’s medicinal products. This latest apology comes in response to criticism from the Supreme Court for the previous apology not being “prominently” displayed.
In the published advertisement, Ramdev and Balkrishna express their “unconditional apology” both individually and on behalf of Patanjali Ayurved for the company’s failure to comply with the directives of the Supreme Court of India.
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During a contempt proceedings hearing on Tuesday regarding the misleading ads case, the Supreme Court questioned whether the size of the apology published by Patanjali matched the full-page advertisements promoting its products.
Ramdev and Balkrishna informed the bench, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, that they had issued unqualified public apologies in 67 newspapers regarding the misleading ads and were prepared to publish additional advertisements expressing regret. They disclosed that the advertisements incurred a cost of Rs 10 lakh.
Justice Kohli raised concerns about the timing of the apology, which was filed just a week before the Supreme Court hearing. The court also requested Patanjali to compile the advertisements and present them for examination.
Ramdev and Balkrishna had previously tendered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” to the Supreme Court over ads promoting Patanjali’s products during the Covid-19 pandemic, which made exaggerated claims about their medicinal efficacy.
Following a plea by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Ramdev’s criticism of modern medicine, the Supreme Court directed Patanjali to halt all advertisements claiming to treat ailments specified in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
Patanjali Ayurved later submitted an affidavit expressing an unconditional apology, emphasizing that its intention was to encourage citizens to lead healthier lives with its products.
In November 2023, the Supreme Court instructed Patanjali Ayurved to cease making misleading claims and advertisements against modern medicine, with Patanjali pledging to refrain from making any unsubstantiated statements.
