In the affidavit, Balkrishna said he regrets that the company’s advertisement contains the ‘offending sentences’.
New Delhi: Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna on Thursday submitted an unqualified apology after rap from Supreme Court over alleged misleading advertisements. Acharya Balkrishna, in an affidavit to Supreme Court, said 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 age-old literature and materials supplementing and backed by ayurvedic research.
The development coms a day after he and Baba Ramdev were summoned by the Supreme Court to appear before it in the contempt proceedings relating to advertising of the company’s products and their medicinal efficacy.
In the affidavit, Balkrishna said he regrets that the company’s advertisement containing the “offending sentences”.
“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.
He also in his affidavit said that the company was in the right and added that 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.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna and Yog Guru Ramdev to appear before it on the next date of hearing for not responding to the show cause notice in contempt proceedings against him over misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved contempt notice.
A bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah’s direction came after it noted that the ayurvedic company had not responded to its earlier show cause notice in contempt proceedings against him over misleading advertisements.
The court took strong exception to Patanjali Ayurveda for not responding to the show cause notice.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi however questioned the SC over summoning Ramdev. The court asked the senior advocate to raise all contentions when the case is heard on the next date.
In the last hearing, the top court issued notice to Ayurvedic Company asking it to show cause why the contempt of action should not be initiated against the company and its managing director for giving misleading advertisements.
The top court had observed that the ayurvedic company has prima facie violated the top court’s order dated November 2023 where it cautioned against misleading advertisements about its medicines.
The court had also restrained the Ayurvedic Company (Patanjali Ayurved) from advertising or branding of their products specified as treating disease under the drugs norms and also cautioned it from making any statements against any system of medicine in the media. The court observation came when it noted that the company has given alleged misleading advertisements.
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