“Be ready for action,” Supreme Court Slams Ramdev Over Patanjali Misleading Ads

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down heavily on Patanjali Ayurved’s co-founder Ramdev and Managing Director Balakrishna for disobeying its directives over company’s misleading advertisements.

“Be ready for action,” the Supreme Court told Ramdev.

A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah did not accept an apology tendered by Patanjali last month. “We are not happy with your apology,” Justice Kohli said.

“You should have made sure that the solemn undertaking should have been in letter and spirit. We can also say that we are sorry for not accepting it. Your apology is not persuading this court. It is more of a lip service,” the Supreme Court said.

After which, Ramdev’s lawyer said both Ramdev and Balakrishna are ready to personally apologise in the court. “We want to apologise and are ready for whatever the court says,” the yoga guru’s lawyer told the court with folded hands.

The Supreme Court also slammed the Centre for not taking action and said, “We are wondering why the government chose to keep their eyes shut”.

The Supreme Court also asked Ramdev and Balkrishna to be present in the court on April 10 – the next date of hearing in the case.

The case is related to a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Patanjali Ayurved for “false” and “misleading” claims in advertisements about its medicines. The IMA complained that Patanjali Ayurved allegedly projected the allopathy and the doctors in poor light, saying that “disparaging” statements have also been made by firms, engaged in the production of ayurvedic medicines, to mislead the general public.

These commercials say that the medical practitioners themselves are dying despite taking modern medicines, the counsel for the IMA had said.