Supreme Court on Ramdev: Today, a hearing took place in the Supreme Court regarding an advertising case for Patanjali, the wellness brand. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev along with Acharya Balkrishna was present in the court. They both personally sought an apology from the Supreme Court. Following the hearing, the Supreme Court clarified that Patanjali's apology has not yet been accepted.
Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ramdev, stated that nothing has been filed yet, but they wish to offer a public apology. He mentioned that Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna have proposed to publish a public apology in the newspapers for violating the court’s orders.
Swami Ramdev pledges to remain vigilant in the future
During the hearing, the court spoke with Baba and Acharya Balkrishna. Justice Kohli addressed Swami Ramdev, noting his fame and significant contribution to yoga, as well as his ventures into business. At this point, there was an interruption in the video broadcast of the Supreme Court, returning three minutes later with audio only. Justice Kohli assured this obstacle was merely coincidental and there was no censorship from their end. The court directly questioned Ramdev on why he should be granted an apology.
Responding, Swami Ramdev told the court, 'I will stay alert in the future, aware that millions of people look up to me.' The court made a stern remark, 'After our orders, you engaged in all this. You understand that you can't advertise for incurable diseases. The law is the same for everyone.' Ramdev then asserted that they had conducted extensive tests, to which Justice Kohli responded, highlighting their irresponsible behavior.
Acharya Balkrishna and Swami Ramdev admit to their mistake
Acharya Balkrishna attributed the error to ignorance, asserting they had evidence to back this up. Justice Amanullah stated that it was not correct to question allopathy, to which Ramdev replied, 'We did this in enthusiasm. We will be cautious going forward. We won't speak ill of allopathy.'
The next hearing is scheduled for April 23
Justice Kohli remarked, 'You can't play innocent here that you're apologizing today, that's not how it goes.' Ramdev countered that such mistakes should not be repeated. Following this, Justice Kohli mentioned their poor history, hinting at contemplation over accepting their apology. Justice Amanullah added his doubt over the genuineness of their apology. Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna had offered to publish a public apology in a newspaper for flouting the Supreme Court's orders. The Supreme Court instructed both to be present on the next date of hearing, April 23.
