Supreme Court Issues Stern Warning To Patanjali Over Misleading Advertisements (Image: X @PypAyurved)
The Supreme Court asked the Patanjali Ayurved to stop creating misleading advertisements against modern medicines and vaccines. On November 21, the Supreme Court also warned Patanjali, the company co-founded by Baba Ramdev, that a penalty of Rs 1 crore would be levied if the misleading advertisements continue, and this penalty is applicable on a per-product basis.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra, issued this warning while considering a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The petition filed by IMA alleges that the Patanjali brand”s misleading advertisements disparage allopathy. The petition also added that these ads make false claims about curing certain diseases. IMA describes the Patanjali ads as a “continuous, systematic, and unabated spread of misinformation.”
“All such false and misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately,” Live Law quoted Justice Amanullah orally as saying. The apex court also emphasized that Patanjali must ensure that it refrains from making casual statements in the press. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court bench also made a significant observation that the court did not wish to make the issue an “Allopathy vs. Ayurveda” debate. However, the court wanted to find a real solution to the problem to misleading medical advertisements.
The Supreme Court also asked the central government to find a solution to tackle the issue of misleading medical advertisements. The court posted this matter for further hearing on February 5, 2024, and also asked the Centre to come out with suitable recommendations. Earlier in August 2022, the Supreme Court severely criticized yoga guru Baba Ramdev for making disparaging remarks on modern medicines. On that occasion, the bench, led by Chief Justice N. V. Ramana, stated that Baba Ramdev should not criticize other systems but can run campaigns to popularize Ayurveda. What is the guarantee that what he follows will cure everything?” asked Chief Justice NV Ramana while considering the case.
