On the eve of the Supreme Court hearing, Baba Ramdev and Patanjali's MD Acharya Balkrishna tendered an unconditional apology through an affidavit. Both maintained a commitment to fully comply with the orders and uphold the dignity of justice. Patanjali has filed a detailed response regarding misleading advertisements.
Both Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna will appear in person before the Supreme Court on Wednesday. They have been summoned to clarify why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them for non-compliance with earlier statements.
On April 2nd, the court had given them one last chance to submit an affidavit providing clarification, stating that the previously filed apology was incomplete and merely superficial. The state of Uttarakhand also submitted a detailed affidavit, assuring stringent action in accordance with established laws and that actions have been taken periodically against Patanjali Ayurveda.
The court issued a contempt notice to Patanjali and its MD on February 27. In March, after failing to respond to the contempt notice, the Supreme Court directed both Baba Ramdev and Patanjali MD to personally appear.
Patanjali's MD submitted an affidavit admitting that the controversial advertisements contained certain unintentional objectionable sentences along with general assertions. The advertisements were genuine, and Patanjali's media staff was unaware of the court's November order.
At the last court hearing, both Baba Ramdev and MD Balkrishna were personally present. While Baba Ramdev's affidavit was not on the record, the court expressed concerns over MD Balkrishna's affidavit and deemed it to be mere show.
