Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved and managing director Acharya Balakrishnan have been held in contempt by the Supreme Court. The SC has issued them the notice for violating its previously passed order against misleading advertising that talks about being able to cure serious diseases or makes claims against allopathy, etc, as reported by Moneycontrol.
Apart from issuing notice, the SC has temporarily restricted Patanjali Ayurved from advertising anything that claims to cure diseases like illnesses such as blood pressure, diabetes, fevers, epilepsy and lupus, specified in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954.
“Respondents are restrained from advertising and branding of their marketed medicinal products specified as treating diseases/ailments as in the rules, until further orders. They are cautioned from making any statements adverse to any medicine system in any form in print or other media,” said a division bench chaired by Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah.
“The entire country is taken for a ride!,” and the government is “sitting with its eyes closed,” he added.
“Today, I am going to pass really strict order. You flout this order! 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,” the Justice added.
In November last year, the Supreme Court has issued a warning to Patanjali Ayurved, for publishing misleading claims and ads against modern systems of medicine. The court said it could impose fines of up to Rs. 1 crore on each product if a false claim is made regarding its ability to ‘cure’ a specific disease, responding to a petition from the Indian Medical Association (IMA) challenging deceptive advertising practices.
Justice Amanullah had remarked, “All false and misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately. This Court will take such infractions very seriously and will consider imposing costs of up to Rs 1 crore on every product for which a false claim is made that it can cure a particular disease.”
A day after the Supreme Court issued a stern warning to Patanjali Ayurved, the company said it was not making any “false advertisements or propaganda” regarding its products.
The company went on to say that it would not object if the Supreme Court were to impose a fine or “even give us a death sentence” if found making misleading claims.
Patanjali Ayurved claimed it has a “database” of over one crore people, “with real world evidence, preclinical and clinical evidence”. Adding that it has “made thousands of people free from several diseases like BP, sugar, thyroid, asthma, arthritis, obesity, liver and kidney failure, and cancer.”
As per reports, the Baba Ramdev-led company said, “We humbly respect the Supreme Court of India and if we make false advertisements or propaganda, we would not have any objections if honourable court imposes a fine of crores or even give us a death sentence.”
Read More: Misleading Ads: Supreme Court issues stern warning to Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali