The Supreme Court has issued a notice to Ramdev in a misleading advertisement case involving Patanjali Ayurved, directing him to appear in court. The court queried why contempt proceedings shouldn't commence against him.
During the hearing, Ramdev's lawyer, Mukul Rohatgi, was asked why they hadn't yet filed a response. The court declared that Ramdev must now present himself, making him a party to the case.
The court stated, 'We're not postponing the hearing. That's clear.' Furthermore, the court reprimanded the Ministry of AYUSH for a late response, leading to the ministry's request for more time to reply adequately.
The Supreme Court remarked that Patanjali's Managing Director must appear in the next hearing. Along with that, the court also served a notice to Swami Ramdev, questioning the potential initiation of contempt of court proceedings.
Previously, the Supreme Court had issued a contempt notice to Patanjali Ayurved over misleading ads including Balkrishna, giving three weeks to respond. However, no response was provided.
Court has also censured Patanjali's products in the past
Before this, the Supreme Court had reprimanded Patanjali's products. Justices Hima Kohli and A Amanullah criticized them for not following previous court orders. Last year, the court ordered the company to halt all advertisements. Failure to comply, followed by an investigation, would result in staggering fines on the company's products.
Indian Medical Association (IMA) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court labeling Patanjali's advertisements as misleading.
IMA's Allegation
IMA alleges that Patanjali conducted a misleading campaign about COVID-19 vaccination. The court warned that Patanjali Ayurved's false and deceptive ads should instantly cease. The IMA claimed in their petition that such advertising undermined allopathic medicine, while Patanjali Ayurved had neither substantiated their claims nor complied with laws like the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act of 1954 and the Consumer Protection Act of 2019. Patanjali had professed that their products Coronil and Swasari could cure COVID-19, but this claim was met with scrutiny from the Ministry of AYUSH, which immediately barred its promotion.
