Managing Director of the Patanjali Ayurved Acharya Balkrishna submits an unqualified apology company’s misleading advertisements

Managing Director of the Patanjali Ayurved Acharya Balkrishna has apologized to the Supreme Court for the company’s misleading claims and advertisements related to its products and their medicinal cures. After the SC criticized Patanjali Ayurved for not responding to the contempt notice, Patanjali Ayurved’s MD filed an affidavit stating that he has the highest regard for the rule of law. Further, extending the unqualified apology, he said, “The company will ensure that such advertisements are not issued in the future”. He further said, “By way of clarification, not as a defence, the Deponent begs to submit that its intention is only to exhort the citizens of this country to lead a healthier life by consuming products of Respondent No. 5 including products for lifestyle ailments through the use age old literature and materials supplementing and backed by ayurvedic research.” The affidavit described the Act as ‘an Archaic state’ and further said, “Respondent No. 5 Company now possess evidence-based scientific data with clinical research conducted in Ayurveda, which would demonstrate the advances made through scientific research in the context of diseases mentioned in the Schedule to the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.” It added, “The Schedule to the 1954 Act read with Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Rules, 1955 is in an archaic state and the last changes were introduced in 1966 when scientific evidence in Ayurveda research was lacking.” The Supreme Court will hear the matter on April 02, 2024. Earlier on March 19, 2024, the bench, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, asked for the personal appearance of Baba Ramdev (Co-founder of Patanjali Ayurved) and Managing Director.