Supreme Court Concludes Contempt Case Against Ramdev and Balakrishna

August 13, 2024 - The Supreme Court of India has resolved the contempt case against yoga guru Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna, accepting their commitments to cease issuing misleading advertisements and claims about Patanjali Ayurved Ltd products. This decision follows a petition by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which challenged disparaging remarks made by Ramdev and Patanjali against modern medicine.

In 2022, the IMA asked the Supreme Court to take action, claiming that Patanjali's ads, which promised miraculous cures for various health issues, broke laws from 1954 regarding misleading advertisements. The court had already issued contempt notices to Ramdev and Balakrishna because Patanjali continued to publish these ads even after promising to stop in November 2023.

Court Orders Apology from IMA President

On August 6, the Supreme Court mandated that IMA President Dr. RV Asokan publish apologies in major newspapers for his controversial remarks made during the hearing concerning misleading Patanjali advertisements. The court instructed that Dr. Asokan cover the costs of these publications personally, rather than using IMA funds. The matter was subsequently adjourned.

The court expressed dissatisfaction with the nature of the apology provided by Dr. Asokan. His lawyer informed the court that an apology for the controversial remarks had been published across various media platforms and on the IMA’s website. Additionally, a pop-up apology appeared when visiting the IMA website. Dr. Asokan had conveyed regret and issued an unconditional apology, as reported by ANI.

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Guidelines Sought for False Advertising

The court also addressed the IMA's plea to establish guidelines to prevent false and misleading advertisements concerning allopathic and modern medicine.