On Wednesday, the Supreme Court made it clear that it does not accept the apology offered by Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna in response to notices regarding why contempt of court proceedings should not be initiated against them for allegedly disregarding its directives.
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During the hearing of the plea filed by the Indian Medical Association against Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah addressed the issue.
When Advocate Mukul Rohatki, representing Ramdev and Acharya, asserted that the apology was unconditional and unqualified, Justice Kohli responded, stating, ” The apologies that are on record are on paper. We think that having been caught on the wrong foot and noticing that their back is actually against the wall and having gone to town saying all sorts of things on the very next day of the order passed where your own counsel had given undertakings, we do not accept these affidavits. We decline to accept or condone it. We consider it a wilful and deliberate violation of the order and breach of the order passed in the undertaking…don’t think your writing, unconditional multiple times in the affidavit is enough to satisfy this court. This was a deliberate violation of the order.”
Earlier, the court had expressed displeasure over an advertisement released by the company on December 4, 2023, despite assuring the court on November 21, 2023, that it would refrain from making any statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine.
In an affidavit submitted on Tuesday, Ramdev expressed regret for the post-statement advertisements and pledged to be more vigilant in the future. He sought the court’s pardon for the breach of the statement made and undertook to uphold the Majesty of Law and Justice.
Similarly, Acharya Balkrishna said he is committed to refrain from issuing such offending advertisements in the future and confirmed that no further offending advertisements were released after February 27, 2024.
The court also pulled up the Uttarakhand government for failing to take action against Ramdev and Balkrishna over the misleading ads.
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