Baba Ramdev, Patanjali MD personally tender apology to Supreme Court in misleading ads case: ‘Not doing lip service’

Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna personally tendered their apology to the Supreme Court on Tuesday after it pulled them up in a case for holding a press conference and publishing advertisements in violation of court orders.

“I am willing to give a public apology to show contrition and to tell the public that it is not that I am doing only some lip service in court…,” Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for them, told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah.

The bench also raised queries on whether he should not have refrained from disparaging other systems of medicine and announcing his claims by parading patients on the stage instead of approaching the interdisciplinary medical committee. To this, Ramdev said, “Aap theek keh rahe hai ki karodon log mujhse judey hain aur aage se mein is tathya ke prati 100 per cent jagrook rahunga. Aur is tarah ki kisi bhi paristhithi ka mujhe bhi saamna karna pade, yeh mere liye bhi shochaneey hai… Humne anusandhan ke jo kaary ke utsah mein aisa hogaya. Aage se nahi karenge (You are right that there are crores of people connected with me and from now I will be 100 per cent alert to this fact. I too am not happy that such things happen. It happened on impulse. Will not do in future).”

The court was upset about a press conference held by Ramdev on November 22, 2023 in Haridwar and an advertisement issued by the company on December 4, 2023 in alleged violation of an undertaking given by it on November 21, 2023 to refrain from doing so. The undertaking was given following a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).

The duo said they were ready to tender a public apology after the court refused to accept their apology last week.

Taking note of the submissions on Tuesday, the bench adjourned the hearing in the case till April 23. It said in the order, “Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the proposed contemnors, submits that to redeem themselves and demonstrate their bonafides, they propose to take some steps…and request one week’s time to revert on the aforesaid aspect. This court has interacted with the proposed contemnors and heard their submissions. At the request of the respondents, list on April 23.”

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