Patanjali MD Balkrishna issues unconditional apology over misleading ads after SC rap

In a short affidavit, Balkrishna said that he regrets the company’s advertisement containing the “offending sentences”.

Patanjali Ayurved Limited's managing director Acharya Balkrishna on March 21 offered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court for issuing misleading advertisements about the efficacy of the company’s products and for questioning the effectiveness of modern medicine.

The affidavit was submitted two days after Balkrishna and company’s co-founder yoga guru Ramdev were summoned by the top court in a case of contempt for failing to adhere to an undertaking the company had given about advertising its products and their medicinal efficacy.

In a short affidavit, Balkrishna said that he regrets the company’s advertisement containing the “offending sentences”.

Acharya Balkrishna said that he will ensure that such advertisements are not issued in the future and submits that its intention is only to exhort the citizens of this country to lead a healthier life by consuming products of the ayurvedic company including products for lifestyle ailments through the use of age-old literature and materials supplementing and backed by ayurvedic research.

“The deponent regrets that the advertisement in question, which was meant to contain only general statements, inadvertently included the offending sentences...The deponent on behalf of respondent (Patanjali Ayurved) submits an unqualified apology before this Court for the breach of the statement recorded in the order of November 21, 2023. The deponent will ensure such advertisements are not issued in future," read the affidavit.

However, in his affidavit he also said that the company was in the right. He said, "The respondent (Patanjali) now possesses evidence-based scientific data with clinical research conducted in Ayurveda, which would demonstrate the advances made through scientific research in the context of diseases mentioned in the Schedule to the 1954 Act."

On March 19, a bench of justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah took strong exception to the failure of the company and Balkrishna in filing replies to the court's notices issued to them earlier to show why contempt proceedings be not initiated against them for prima facie violating the undertaking given to the court.

The apex court was hearing a plea of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by Ramdev against the vaccination drive and modern medicines.

On November 21 last year, the counsel representing the company had assured the court that "henceforth there shall not be any violation of any law(s), especially relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it and, further, that no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form".

At 1000 hours on March 20, Patanjali Foods' shares on BSE were trading 1.2 percent higher at Rs 1,369 apiece.