"Sitting With Eyes Closed": Supreme Court Rebukes Centre In Patanjali Case

The Supreme Court heavily criticised the central government”s failure to address the false advertisement case involving Yoga guru Baba Ramdev-owned Patanjali and issued a contempt notice to the company and co-owner Acharya Balkrishana.

The Supreme Court stated, “The government is sitting with its eyes closed.”

The court has ordered a contempt notice to Patanjali Ayurveda and its co-owner and managing director, Acharya Balkrishana, for violating the court’s order against misleading advertisements of its medicinal products. The Court has also restrained the conglomerate from advertising its medicinal products for diseases and disorders listed in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 until further order.

Reportedly, the matter will be resolved after two weeks.

Representing the Indian Medical Association, senior advocate PS Patwalia observed that Patanjali has claimed to ‘completely cure’ diseases such as diabetes and asthma with the help of yoga.

The Court further asked the central government regarding actions taken from its end under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 concerning Patanjali advertisements. The Union has been asked to file an affidavit detailing the actions it has taken so far.

“You had the courage and guts to come up with this advertisement after the order of this Court! And then you come up with this advertisement. Permanent relief? What do you mean by permanent relief? Is it a cure? …We are going to pass a very, very strict order. You are tempting the Court,” Justice Amanullah said, as quoted by a Live Law report.

Last year, in November, the court warned Patanjali Ayurveda, co-owned by Baba Ramdev, against making “false” and “misleading” claims in advertisements about its products, primarily medicines. A petition filed by the IMA accused Patanjali of running a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccine and the use of allopathic medicines during the pandemic.

The court had ordered the firm to stop publishing false claims in its advertisements against modern forms of medicine, warning of a penalty of Rs 1 crore on a per-product basis if it continued. The apex court had asked the counsel appearing for the Centre to resolve the issue of misleading medical ads.