GUWAHATI: The Supreme Court of India has issued a contempt notice against Patanjali Ayurved and banned the company from publishing advertisements for products related to diseases specified under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 today on February 27, according to media reports.
The Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah was hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association when it reprehended the Ayurvedic company for continuing to publish misleading advertisements regarding medicinal cures, despite making an assurance to the Court earlier in November last year that no such statements would be made, Live Law reported.
The apex court observed that the company has violated the undertaking issued last year and issued notice to Patanjali Ayurved and Acharya Balakrishna, the Managing Director of Patanjali, to show cause why action should not be taken against them for the contempt of court, while further cautioning them from making any statement adverse to any system of medicine, reports stated.
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The Supreme Court bench used strong words to rebuke the company for yet another advertisement that contained misleading claims and said, “You had the courage and guts to come up with this advertisement after the order of this Court! And then you come up with this advertisement. Permanent relief, what do you mean by permanent relief? Is it a cure?...we are going to pass a very, very strict order. You are tempting the Court.”
Additionally, the Court also asked the Union Government to file an affidavit stating what action has been taken from its end under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act 1954 in respect of the advertisements of Patanjali.
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"The entire country is taken for a ride! You wait for two years when the Acts says this (misleading advertisements) is prohibited," the Court told the Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj.
Senior Advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for the Indian Medical Association (IMA), had stated in the court that even after the Supreme Court order on November 21, 2023, advertisements were still published claiming that Patanjali Ayurved has permanent cures for diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, arthritis, glaucoma etc, while referencing an advertisement carried by 'The Hindu' daily on December 4, 2023.
A writ petition was filed by the IMA earlier had raised concerns over what was termed a "continuous, systematic, and unabated spread of misinformation" regarding allopathy and the modern system of medicine, asserting that Patanjali's misleading advertisements disparage allopathy and make false claims about curing certain diseases.
(With inputs from LiveLaw)
