“How can Patanjali claim to completely cure…” Supreme Court issues contempt notice to Patanjali, pulls up Centre for “sitting with eyes shut”

The Supreme Court has pulled up Patanjali Ayurved, co-owned by Yoga guru Ramdev over misleading advertisements regarding medicinal properties and cures of their products. This is despite the company assuring the court in November last year that all such advertisements will be withdrawn and not published henceforth. Taking strong exception to such violation of the assurance the Supreme Court has issued show cause notices to Patanjali Ayurved and the Managing Director of the company Acharya Balakrishna seeking a response as to why this defiance not be considered as contempt of court.

“You had the courage to come up with this advertisement after the order of this court! Permanent relief... what do you mean by permanent relief? Is it a cure? You can't say your medicines/drugs cure a particular disease. How can Patanjali claim to completely cure blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, asthma and obesity?” The bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah lashed out at the Patanjali group in the open court.

The Court has now further restrained Patanjali Ayurved from making similar advertisements and branding of products that claimed to address certain diseases specified in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954.

The Supreme Court has also come down heavily on the Central government for not taking appropriate action. “The entire country is being taken for a ride! You, the Union government, waited for two years when the Act says this is prohibited. The government is sitting with its eyes closed,” the bench observed. The matter will come up for hearing again in two weeks.