You're not so innocent: Supreme Court as Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna apologise for misleading Patanjali ads

The Supreme Court on Tuesday personally interacted with the promoters of Patanjali Ayurved, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, to gauge the genuineness of their apology for running misleading advertisements that had disparaged modern medicine [Indian Medical Association & Anr v. Union of India and Ors]..While the duo expressed that they were sorry for their conduct, the Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah indicated that the two were not out of the woods yet. ."Hum yeh nahi keh rahe ki hum maaf kardenge aapko.. aapka history hum andekha karde ... adesh thhe court ke tab bhi is orders ka avhelna hua toh aap itne innocent naho hai (translation: We are not saying we will forgive you. We cannot be blind to your earlier history, we will think about your apology. You are not so innocent that you were completely unaware of what was going on in Court) ... At this moment, we are not saying they're off the hook," Justice Kohli said. .The Court eventually adjourned the matter till April 23, after recording an undertaking by Patanjali and its representatives that they propose to voluntarily take some steps to redeem themselves and show their good intentions."The proposed contemnors will take some steps on their own initiative and unilaterally. (Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi) requests one week time to come back with the same. The Court also interacted with the proposed contemnors at the request of Respondents 5-6. List on April 23, top of the list. Make sure both the proposed contemnors are present on the next date," the Court's order stated. .Senior Advocates Vipin Sanghi and Balbir Singh also appeared for Patanjali and Baba Ramdev respectively. .The Court was hearing a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against an alleged smear campaign carried out by Patanjali and its founders against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine.The Supreme Court had in previous hearings rebuked Patanjali Ayurved as well as Ramdev and Balkrishna over the casual apology affidavits submitted by them on being pulled up for their failure to stop carrying misleading advertisements..Appearing for Ramdev and Balkrishna, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi reiterated that the duo was tendering an unconditional apology. "We fully apologise," Rohatgi said. The Court, in response, indicated that they wished to directly address Ramdev and Balkrishna, who were present in court following earlier orders. ."Humne aapke statements padhe hain. Aap kya kehna chahenge? (We have read your statements. What do you have to say?)" Justice Kohli asked."Param adarniya judge saheb mohadaya. Unconditionally humne ... Jo bhi humse huyi humse apologise kiya hain! (Most respected judge, whatever we have done, we have apologized for it)," Ramdev replied. ."Kanoon sab k liye ek hain! (Law is the same for all!)," Justice Amanullah observed while weighing in. "Aage se iske prati jagruk rahunga. Karya k utsah mein aisa hogya. Aage se nahi hoga (I will remain conscious about it in future. This all happened in the excitement of work. It won’t happen in future)," Ramdev replied. .The Court also underscored that the company cannot claim to cure specific diseases in its advertisements and it is illegal to advertise medicines as specific cure for diseases. "Bimario k liye dawaio ka publicity permitted nahi. Na pharmacy na doctor kar sakti hain. Aaj tak iss vali bimario k liye kisine me bhi advertise nahi ki. Bilkul gair zimmedari vali harkit. Desh k har nagrik k liye niyam hain. Aapne hi yoga popularize karke (translation: Advertising medicines for the treatment of specific diseases is not permitted. Neither doctor not pharmacy can do that. It is irresponsible to do that. Every citizen is bound by the law)," the Court said. ."Absolute defiance, humbug, perjury:" Supreme Court slams Patanjali over its apology affidavit in misleading ads case.Patanjali's Managing Director, Balkrishna Acharya, meanwhile, assured that their conduct was not deliberate. "Peeche se jo bhi anuundhan hoti hai woh hum karte hai.. lekin yeh sab agyanta purvak hua yeh. yeh galti ke prati hum sham prarthi hai.. (This all happened due to ignorance. We apologise for it)," Balkrishna submitted. Justice Amanullah replied that Patanjali cannot degrade allopathy while promoting its products."Yeh bohot galat hai ki aapne aalopathy ke upar kataksh kiya hai (It is very wrong that you ridiculed allopathy)," the judge observed. ."Allopathy ko pseudo science kaha gaya hai and in dono branch ke beech hamesha ek vivad chalta gaya hai... Wikipedia wagera pe bhi… (Allopathy has been called pseudoscience and there has always been a dispute between these two branches of medicine. On Wikipedia also)," Ramdev said. Justice Amanullah, however, maintained that Patanjali should focus on its own work and not disparage others while carrying out its work."Lekin aapka kya hai.. aap apna kaam karo (But what do you have to do with it? You do your work)," the judge observed. .In November 2023, the Supreme Court had threatened to impose costs of ₹1 crore per false claim made in each advertisement that claimed that Patanjali products would cure diseases.The top court had also directed Patanjali not to publish false advertisements in the future.Later, the Court imposed a temporary ban on such advertisements, and issued contempt of court notices to the company and Balkrishna after Patanjali failed to halt the publication of such ads. On March 19, the Court directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to be personally present before it after they failed to file replies.In the last hearing of the matter, the Court also pulled up the Uttarakhand government for being "hand-in-glove" with errant licensing officers who failed to take action against Patanjali Ayurved for publishing misleading advertisements.The matter will be heard next on April 23.