'Was Patanjali's Apology Ad as Big as Misleading Ads?' SC Raps Ramdev, Balkrishna

The Supreme Court questioned if Patanjali's recent apology ad for previously misleading against allopathy was as prominent and costly as those misleading ads, warning Ramdev and Balkrishna against degrading modern medicine.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna over the size of the apology advertisement published by their company Patanjali Ayurved for previously running misleading ads against allopathy and modern medicine.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah questioned whether the recent apology advertisement carried by Patanjali was as prominent and expensive as the earlier misleading advertisements that had triggered contempt proceedings against the company and its founders.

"Is the apology the same size as your advertisements? It costs tens of lakhs," Justice Kohli asked Patanjali's lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, who informed that the apology was published on April 22 across 67 newspapers.

The bench remained unconvinced and sought to know if the apology ad cost Patanjali as much money as the purported objectionable advertisements did.

"Does it cost the same tens of lakhs of rupees for the full-page advertisements you had published? We are wondering," Justice Kohli probed further.

Rohatgi assured that additional prominent advertisements tendering an unqualified apology would be issued by Patanjali for violating the court's earlier directives.

The case traces back to a 2022 plea filed by the Indian Medical Association alleging that Patanjali ran a smear campaign denigrating allopathic treatments and Covid vaccines through misleading ads, despite assurances given to the top court in November 2022.

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On April 16, the Supreme Court warned Ramdev and Balkrishna against making statements disparaging allopathy and asked them to tender an unconditional public apology within a week.

The matter has been posted for further hearing on April 30, with the court yet to close the contempt case against Patanjali and its founders.