Yoga guru Ramdev (centre) arrives at the Supreme Court for hearing on the Patanjali misleading advertisements case, in New Delhi, on April 10, 2024
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Supreme Court has refused to accept the unconditional apology from Patanjali co-founder Baba Ramdev and managing director Acharya Balkrishna Balkrishna for advertising medical products in violation of giving an undertaking in the apex court in November 2023 prohibiting him.
The Supreme Court on February 27 had issued contempt notice against Patanjali Ayurved and Mr. Balkrishna. Both Mr. Ramdev and Mr. Balkrishna were in court today.
Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi that Mr. Ramdev has apologised only after being caught on the back foot. His violations of the undertaking to the court was deliberate and willful, they said.
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Justice Amanullah said the self-styled yoga guru violated the undertaking twice, once by holding a press conference the very next day after Patanjali gave an undertaking and later even when the contempt was being heard.
“It was only they were summoned to appear in the court, when the writing was plain on the wall. They relented,” Justice Amanullah said.
The Bench turned its ire on the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for “twiddling their thumbs” doing nothing to prevent the publications and advertisements.
“Why should we not come down like a ton of bricks on your officers? They have been fillibustering,” Justice Kohli said.
The court said the assurances of the State Licensing Authority and the apology of the proposed contemnors are not worth the paper they are written on.
Justice Amanullah said it is conduct like this that makes a mockery of the Supreme Court with the public saying the judges are sitting in an ivory tower.
