Patanjali Ayurved and its Managing Director, Acharya Balkrishna, have unreservedly apologised to the Supreme Court for their ads attacking evidence-based medicine. Balkrishna informed the top court in a sworn declaration that his firm would not repeat such ads aimed primarily at promoting Ayurveda.
“The deponent will ensure that such advertisements are not issued in the future. By way of clarification, not as a defence, the deponent begs to submit that its intention is only to exhort the citizens of this country to lead a healthier life by consuming products of the respondent no. 5, including products for lifestyle ailments, through the use of age-old literature and materials supplementing and backed by ayurvedic research,” the affidavit said.
This affidavit was presented in response to a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging that Patanjali and its founder, self-proclaimed yoga guru Baba Ramdev, were conducting a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination push and modern medicine.
Patanjali’s affidavit showed the utmost regard for the rule of law and underlined its commitment to upholding it. The corporation maintained that its media staff was ignorant of the legal proceedings that prohibited such marketing.
“The deponent regrets that the advertisement in question, which was meant to contain only general statements, inadvertently included the offending sentences. The same was true and added to the routine course by the media department,” the affidavit said.
Importantly, the firm claimed to have scientific evidence from clinical research done in Ayurveda that was not accessible at the time of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940. It emphasised that its Ayurvedic products are based on scientific study.
“The Deponent’s primary objective is to promote a better and healthier life for every citizen and to alleviate the burden on the country’s healthcare infrastructure by providing holistic, evidence-based solutions for lifestyle-related medical complications through the utilization of traditional Ayurveda and Yoga practices,” it was emphasized.
The Supreme Court had previously threatened to impose substantial costs for false claims made in Patanjali Ayurveda advertisements purporting to cure diseases. It also admonished the central government for failing to address misleading advertisements despite the petition filed against them in 2022.
Past Incidents
On February 27, during a hearing on a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) regarding’misleading’ advertisements, a restriction on Patanjali Ayurveda’s marketing activities was imposed until further notice. In addition, the court ordered Patanjali not to make disparaging remarks about any medical system.
At the time, Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah had remarked, “The entire country has been taken for a ride. You shut your eyes! For two years, you wait for this important thing when the Drugs Act itself says it’s prohibited?”
In November, the Supreme Court warned of imposing charges of ₹1 crore for each deceptive claim made in advertisements for Patanjali Ayurvedic remedies that promise to treat diseases.
The Court subsequently stated that the problem could not be reduced to a choice between allopathy (modern treatment) and Ayurvedic goods.
The Supreme Court further urged Patanjali not to print deceptive ads in the future and to refrain from making such claims in the media, stating that a remedy to misleading medical marketing was required.
On March 19, the Supreme Court summoned Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurveda Director Acharya Balkrishna to appear in person for contempt proceedings over alleged’misleading’ ads.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah further stated that Ramdev and Patanjali Chairman Acharya Balkrishna seemed to have violated Sections 3 and 4 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
