Patanjali Misleading Ads: Supreme Court Rejects Ramdev’s Apology, Demands Public Apology

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday rebuked Baba Ramdev, admonishing him for his involvement in the contempt case concerning misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved’s medicinal products. Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, comprising a two-judge bench, slammed Ramdev, stating that he was not ignorant of his actions and criticized him for his irresponsible conduct.

During the hearing, Ramdev, along with Acharya Balkrishna, offered an apology for their actions, acknowledging their mistakes. However, the bench emphasized that the law applies equally to everyone and expressed skepticism regarding the sincerity of their apology. The court granted them one week to publicly apologize and scheduled the next hearing for April 23.

Previously, on April 10, the Supreme Court had dismissed Ramdev and Balkrishna’s unconditional apology, deeming their actions as deliberate and repeated violations of court orders. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had filed the petition against Patanjali Ayurved, and the court expressed dissatisfaction with the company’s response during the hearing.

Furthermore, the court criticized the Uttarakhand government for its role in granting licenses to Patanjali products, questioning the authority’s actions. Justices Kohli and Amanullah condemned the state’s licensing authority and warned against using terms like ‘bonafide’ for officers involved in the matter.