NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has issued a stern warning to Patanjali Ayurved, owned by yoga guru Ramdev, indicating the possibility of imposing fines of Rs 1 crore for each false claim presented in its advertisements, as reported by Bar and Bench.
During a hearing regarding a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association, alleging that Patanjali engaged in a campaign against modern medicine and the Covid-19 vaccination drive, a bench consisting of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra delivered the caution.
Multiple state units of the Indian Medical Association lodged complaints against Ramdev, with the petition naming Patanjali Ayurved as a respondent. This was in reference to a half-page advertisement published on July 10, 2022, in various newspapers titled “Misconceptions spread by allopathy: Save yourself and the country from the misconceptions spread by pharma and medical industry.”
The bench instructed Patanjali Ayurved to immediately halt all false and misleading advertisements, criticizing the company for making baseless claims against evidence-based medicine. Additionally, they urged the company to refrain from making such claims to the media.
The court emphasized that the issue shouldn’t be simplified to a mere clash between modern medicine and Ayurvedic products. They expressed serious intent in addressing the problem of deceptive medical advertisements and seek genuine solutions.
To this end, the bench requested the central government to conduct consultations and propose recommendations and solutions. The next hearing on this matter is scheduled for February 5, 2024.
Previously, the Supreme Court had cautioned Ramdev against making derogatory remarks about modern medicine and doctors.
Former Chief Justice NV Ramana had verbally remarked, "What happened to Baba Ramdev? He can promote his system, but why should he criticize other systems? We all respect him...But he should refrain from criticizing other systems. What ensures that his system will work? He should show restraint in disparaging other systems."
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