SC warns Patanjali to stop misleading advertisements  

By: Pune Pulse

November 22, 2023

Patanjali Ayurved, a company co-founded by Yoga Guru Ramdev specializing in herbal products, was warned by the Supreme Court on Tuesday regarding the use of ‘false’ and ‘misleading’ claims in their advertisements about the curative properties of their medicines for various diseases. 

The bench, consisting of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra, made an oral observation during the hearing of a plea by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), stating that all deceptive and inaccurate advertisements by Patanjali Ayurved must cease without delay.

On August 23, 2022, the Supreme Court issued notifications to the Union Health Ministry, Ministry of Ayush, and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. This action was taken in response to a plea made by the IMA, which accused Ramdev Baba of conducting a campaign against the vaccination drive and modern medicines.

In the concise proceeding, the panel instructed Patanjali Ayurved to refrain from disseminating deceptive assertions and promotions that undermine contemporary medical practices. The panel further indicated that it might contemplate imposing a penalty of Rs 1 crore on each product in the event of a false assertion being made regarding its ability to remedy a specific ailment.

The top court asked the counsel appearing for the Centre to find a remedy to the issue of misleading medical advertisements where claims are being made about medicines that offer perfect cure for certain diseases.

The plea of IMA for hearing on February 5, next year will now be considered by the bench. The Supreme Court, in response to the plea, strongly reprimanded Ramdev for his criticism of allopathy and allopathic practitioners, emphasizing the need to prevent him from verbally attacking doctors and other treatment methods.

The bench, led by the former CJI N V Ramana, expressed concern over the criticism of other systems by Guru Swami Ramdev Baba. Despite our admiration for his efforts in promoting yoga, we must not overlook the fact that there is no guarantee that the Ayurvedic system he advocates will be effective. The bench also noted the large advertisements that accuse doctors of being killers or something similar.

IMA has cited multiple advertisements that supposedly portrayed allopathic doctors in a negative manner. They have also highlighted that certain firms involved in the manufacturing of ayurvedic medicines have made derogatory statements to deceive the general public.

According to the IMA, there is a deliberate attempt to discourage the use of vaccinations, including the COVID-19 vaccine, and modern allopathic medicines in the country.