Patanjali's Apology Gets Bigger Than Yesterday After Supreme Court's 'Same Size As Ads?' Remark

ramdev misleading ads case patnjali’s apology gets bigger than yesterday after supreme court’s ‘same size as ads?’ remark

New Delhi: Yoga guru Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna have issued a fresh apology in today’s newspaper, which notably surpasses the size of the previous one. This development comes in response to a remark from the Supreme Court, questioning whether the apology matched the scale of the advertisements issued by Patanjali.

The advertisement published this morning occupies one-fourth of a newspaper page and bears the title “Unconditional Public Apology.” It reads, “In wake of ongoing matter before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India (Writ Petition C. No. 645/2022), we in our individual capacity as well as on behalf of the Company, unconditionally apologise for the non-compliance or disobedience of directions/ orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.”

“We unconditionally extend the apology for holding meeting/press conference dated 22.11.2023. We earnestly apologize for the mistake made in publishing our advertisements and it is our whole-hearted commitment that such errors will not be repeated. We undertake to abide by directions and instructions of the Hon’ble Court with due care and utmost sincerity. We undertake to uphold the majesty of the court and comply with applicable laws and directions of the Hon’ble Court of law/relevant authorities. Sincerely, Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Acharya Balkrishna, Swami Ramdev, Haridwar, Uttarakhand,” the note concluded.

Yesterday’s advertisement, in contrast, was smaller and did not explicitly mention the names of Ramdev and Balkrishna.

During yesterday’s hearing, the bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice A Amanullah raised questions about the prominence of the apology. “Has the apology been published prominently? Same font and size as your earlier advertisements?” Justice Kohli inquired.

Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ramdev and Balkrishna, informed the court that the apology was published in 67 newspapers for Rs 10 lakh. However, the court was not satisfied with the apology and also questioned why it was issued at the last moment. “Please cut out the ads and then supply it to us. Do not enlarge them and supply it to us. We want to see the actual size. This is our direction… we want to see that when you issue an ad, it does not mean we have to see it by a microscope,” Justice Kohli said.

The Supreme Court, on April 10, dismissed an “unconditional apology” from Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna in the Patanjali Ayurved misleading advertisements case, asserting their actions as “willful, deliberate, and repeated violations” of court orders. The petition against Patanjali Ayurved was lodged by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

Earlier, the apex court had sternly warned Ramdev and Balkrishna for their failure to comply with its directives, cautioning them to prepare for consequences. The court said that a specific undertaking was given to follow its orders diligently, yet Patanjali’s media and advertisement departments failed to adhere to it, labelling their affidavit as mere “lip service.”

The Case Against Patanjali

The legal trouble for Patanjali dates back to November last year when the Supreme Court, prompted by a petition from the Indian Medical Association (IMA), cautioned the company against disseminating “false and misleading” claims about its medicines through advertisements.

In February, responding to the court’s directive, Patanjali was ordered to cease all electronic and print advertisements containing “misleading information” about its medicines. Ramdev’s legal representatives indicated their willingness for personal apologies from both Ramdev and Balkrishna in court, acknowledging their readiness to accept any consequences.

The Indian Medical Association has highlighted numerous advertisements allegedly portraying allopathy and doctors in a negative light. Firms producing ayurvedic medicines have also been accused of making “disparaging” statements aimed at misleading the public.

The legal proceedings are set to continue, with the next hearing scheduled for April 30. Ramdev and Balkrishna have been directed to appear in court as the case progresses.