The Court recently banned advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved’s medicines and issued contempt notices to founders Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna for making misleading claims.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Baba Ramdev to be personally present before it after he failed to file a reply to a show cause notice in the contempt proceedings initiated against Patanjali Ayurved for its misleading advertisements [Indian Medical Association & Anr v. Union of India and Ors]
A Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah also remarked that Ramdev and Patanjali Chairman Acharya Balkrishna were prima facie in violation of Sections 3 and 4 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
The Court passed the order despite strong opposition by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohtagi, who represented Patanjali.
“How can you be in the teeth of our orders?” Justice Kohli said, as the Court asked Ramdev and Balkrishna to file their replies.
Rohatgi protested and asked,
“How does Ramdev come into the picture?”
The Court was, however, adamant.
“You are appearing. We will see on next date. Enough.”
Rohtagi then submitted that violation of the law was not contempt of court and what was being relied on in open court has to be recorded in the order.
However, the Court did not relent and passed the order for personal appearance of Ramdev.
In the previous hearing, the Court had imposed a temporary ban on advertisements of the Patanjali Ayurved’s medicines, and issued contempt notices to its founders Ramdev and Balkrishna for making misleading claims.
The top court had lamened that Patanjali has been taking the country for a ride by falsely claiming that its medicines cure certain diseases despite no empirical evidence for the same.
It had pulled up Central government for not tackling misleading advertisements despite the present petition against the same having been filed in 2022.
It also ordered that Patanjali should not make adverse statements or claims against other forms of medicine.
The Bench was hearing a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by the self-styled yoga guru and his company against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine.