Uttarakhand suspends Patanjali’s manufacturing licenses for 14 products after SC rap in misleading ads case

The top court pulled up the state authority on April 10 for its inaction against Patanjali and Divya Pharmacy for their illegal advertisements of these products. (Image:File/Reuters)

The Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority has suspended manufacturing licenses for 14 products from Patanjali’s Divya Pharmacy due to repeated publication of misleading advertisements regarding their effectiveness.

In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Monday, the state informed that it had “suspended… with immediate effect…manufacturing licenses for 14… products” of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Divya Pharmacy “for repeated violations” under the Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945.

The SLA issued an order dated April 15, 2024, to Divya Pharmacy and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, suspending manufacturing licenses for 14 products, which included ‘Swasari Gold’, ‘Swasari Vati’, ‘Bronchom’, ‘Swasari Pravahi’, ‘Swasari Avaleh’, ‘Mukta Vati Extra Power’, ‘Lipidom’, ‘Bp Grit’, ‘Madhugrit’, ‘Madhunashini Vati Extra Power’, ‘Livamrit Advance’, ‘Livogrit’, ‘Eyegrit Gold’, and ‘Patanjali Drishti Eye Drop’, with immediate effect.

The action follows a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), prompting the Supreme Court to seek clarification from the state licensing authority regarding action taken against the company for alleged misleading claims.

Notably, the top court pulled up the state authority on April 10 for its inaction against Patanjali and Divya Pharmacy for their illegal advertisements of these products.

In addition to the suspension of licenses, the Drug Inspector/District Ayurvedic and Unani Officer of Haridwar filed a criminal complaint against Swami Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna, Divya Pharmacy, and Patanjali Ayurved Limited under relevant sections of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act.

Furthermore, the state licensing authority has issued directives to all Ayurvedic and Unani medicine factories in Uttarakhand to strictly comply with the Drug and Magic Remedies Act, 1954. This includes refraining from using claims like “approved/certified by the Ministry of AYUSH” on product labels.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case related to the apology published by Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna on April 30. Previously, the court adjourned the hearing and requested copies of the apology advertisements to assess their size and readability.

Ramdev and Balkrishna tendered an apology to the apex court on April 16 for publishing misleading advertisements and making derogatory remarks about allopathic medicines, with an assurance of being more mindful in the future.