In a big setback for Patanjali Ayurved, co-owned by yoga guru Ramdev, the Supreme Court has issued a contempt notice to the company for issuing misleading advertisements. It has also pulled up the Centre for not taking action.
A bench of justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah passed the order after being shown material by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which first approached it in 2022, seeking action against Patanjali for disparaging modern medicine and making misleading claims about curing diseases, contrary to law.
Patanjali Ayurved is restrained from advertising or branding the products (specified as a disease under the Act and Rule) manufactured and marketed by it. The respondent is also cautioned from making any statements against any system of medicine in the media (both print and electronic) in any form as undertaken by him on the last date.
You ( Patanjali Ayurved) had the courage to come up with this advertisement after the order of this court! Permanent relief… what do you mean by permanent relief? Is it a cure? You can’t say your medicines/drugs cure a particular disease.
How can Patanjali claim to completely cure blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, asthma and obesity?
Allopathy cannot be degraded/defamed in the eyes of the public like this. You (Patanjali) cannot criticise any other method of treatment like allopathy.
The entire country is being taken for a ride! You (Union government) wait for two years when the Act says this is prohibited. The government is sitting with its eyes closed.
In addition, the court received an anonymous complaint of January 15 attaching two press clippings of advertisements issued on January 7, where Patanjali claimed that its products are “more effective than chemical-based synthetic medicines of allopathy”. Modern medicine is often referred to as allopathy in India.
