‘But what were you doing?’: In Patanjali misleading ads case, Supreme Court ire now on IMA

In a surprising turn of events, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) faced criticism from the Supreme Court during Tuesday’s hearing related to the case involving Yoga guru Ramdev and his aide Balkrishna in the Patanjali misleading advertisements case.

The IMA, which had petitioned against the misleading ads, was reprimanded by the bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice A Amanullah for comments made by its president R V Asokan in an interview regarding the case.

The bench questioned the IMA’s stance, highlighting the president’s remarks that could be seen as prejudicing the ongoing judicial proceedings. “You say the other side (Patanjali Ayurved) is misleading, running your medicine down, but what were you doing?” the bench queried.

Senior Advocate P S Patwalia, representing the IMA, explained that the president’s remarks were unintentional and that they had praised the court for the most part. However, the court expressed dissatisfaction with this explanation, emphasizing the need for caution in public statements regarding subjudice matters.

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The court emphasised that the IMA’s response was insufficient, noting the potential damage caused by the president’s statements. Justice Amanullah emphasised that the court did not expect commendations but demanded adherence to the principles of judicial propriety.

The court’s rebuke of the IMA marked a reversal from earlier proceedings where Ramdev and Balkrishna faced strong criticism for misleading advertisements. The court had rejected their apologies and ordered prominent newspaper apologies to be issued.

Balkrishna had petitioned against the IMA president’s statements, alleging interference in judicial proceedings and seeking appropriate action.

This development highlights the complexities surrounding the case and underscores the importance of upholding legal decorum and respecting judicial processes.

Previously, the IMA had raised concerns about Patanjali’s advertisements that allegedly disparaged allopathy and doctors, emphasizing the need to counter misinformation about health-related claims made by Patanjali products.