SC contempt notice to Ramdev's Patanjali, Balakrishna; bans BP, diabetes, other drug ads

SC warns Patanjali ayurveda

The Supreme Court on February 27 issued a show-cause notice to Patanjali Ayurved, co-founded by yoga guru Ramdev, and managing director Balakrishna for going back on their promise to not make misleading claims in advertisements for its medicines.

The court also restrained the company from publishing any advertisement claiming to cure illnesses such as blood pressure, diabetes, fevers, epilepsy and lupus, which are mentioned in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. The act covers 54 diseases.

The top court not only came down hard on Patanjali but also orally observed, "The entire country is being taken for a ride" and the government is "sitting with its eyes closed".

Pulling up the Centre over its inaction, the court asked it to file an affidavit on the steps taken to prevent the incorrect representation of medicines by companies in media.

Patanjali and its employees were warned not to spread any misleading information regarding their product's ability to cure diseases.

The order was passed on a writ petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) over misleading advertisements by certain companies.

In November, Patanjali had undertaken not to publish advertisements making false claims about its products and targeting modern medicines and vaccinations.

But Patanjali continued with the advertisements despite the undertaking, the court was told.

In November 2023, the court warned Patanjali and said, "All false and misleading advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately. This court will take such infractions very seriously and will consider imposing costs of up to Rs 1 crore on every product for which a false claim is made that it can cure a particular disease."

The court has asked the Centre to present a proposal to tackle such misleading medical advertisements more broadly. The IMA had flagged Patanjali's campaigns that criticised modern medicine and vaccination efforts.