Patanjali’s Acharya Balkrishna Issues an Apology to the Supreme Court over Misleading Advertisements

Patanjali’s Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna has issued a formal apology to the Supreme Court for their misleading advertisements about their products and their medical efficacy. In an affidavit submitted to the apex court, Balkrishna assured that such misleading advertisements would not be issued in the future days after he was summoned by the apex court mandating his physical presence on April 2. Acharya Balkrishna reiterated that the primary goal of the company is to promote a healthier lifestyle through the use of Patanjali Ayurved products.

The affidavit also stated that Patanjali Ayurved products are supported by scientific research, which was not available at the time of the enactment of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 1940. Balkrishna highlighted that both Patanjali Ayurved products and Ayurveda are grounded in ancient literature and knowledge and pledged that Patanjali would refrain from issuing such misleading advertisements.

Patanjali, in its affidavit, expressed its deep respect for the rule of law and its commitment to comply with it in all aspects. The company further clarified that its media division was unaware of any court proceedings prohibiting such advertisements. This affidavit was filed in response to a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which accused Patanjali and Baba Ramdev of running a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine.

Despite previous warnings and directives from the Supreme Court, Patanjali continued to publish misleading advertisements. As a result, on February 27, the court temporarily banned advertisements for Patanjali Ayurved's medicines and issued contempt of court notices to the company and Balkrishna for making deceptive claims. The court underscored the importance of resolving the issue of misleading medical advertisements and criticized the central government for what it perceived as inaction on the matter.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday had pulled up the managing director of Patanjali Acharya Balakrishna along with brand ambassador Baba Ramdev and mandated their physical presence before the court on April 2 for failing to comply with a contempt notice served to the company for issuing misleading advertisements.​