‘We will think’: SC refuses to accept Ramdev’s apology again

In another hearing in the misleading advertisement case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday was told by the promoters of Patanjali Ayurved, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, that they are sorry for running ads that spread misinformation.

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said the duo (Ramdev and Balkrishna) violated court orders and that it'll think about whether their apology should be accepted or not. Ramdev and his associate, on their part, said they were ready to do what it takes to redeem themselves and exhibit "good" intent.

"We are not saying we will forgive you. We cannot be blind to your earlier history, we will think about your apology," Justice Kohli says, as reported by the legal news platform Bar and Bench.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on their behalf, sought one week and the Supreme Court said it would resume hearing again next week i.e. April 23, 2024.

Yoga guru Ramdev accepted in the top court that his company made a mistake by putting the questionable ads, on which the court said the law was the same for all and that no one -- neither doctor nor pharmacy -- could create ads claiming to cure specific diseases.

Balkrishna also apologised, saying their actions could be attributed to "ignorance" and that they were sorry. The court said rather than tarnishing other branches of medicine like allopathy, they should focus on their work.

During the previous hearing in the case, too, both Ramdev and Balkrishna were pulled up by the court for the "casual" nature of their apology affidavits. The duo had offered an "unconditional apology" in the court, but the judges said they wished to have a direct interaction with them.

The top court had asked the duo as to why "contempt of court" proceedings should not be started against them for violating its directive. Before that, it ordered Patanjali Ayurved to stop promoting and marketing ayurvedic products, which it claimed to cure critical illnesses like heart issues and asthma.

The SC ruling had come following a petition by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), which accused the company of claiming to completely cure sugar and asthma, among other illnesses, with yoga. The court had asked the duo promoters to make a personal appearance, saying he and his associate Acharya Balkrishna, who's Patanjali chairman, were prima facie violating Sections 3 and 4 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954. It said the company was taking the “country for a ride” by making misleading claims without “empirical evidence”.

On March 19, 2024, Patanjali Foods said the SC ruling had no bearing on Patanjali Foods. The Patanjali Foods Ltd shares are trading 0.84% up today compared to the previous session close of ₹1,340.70 on the BSE. Patanjali Food clocked ₹216.54 crore profit in the quarter ended December vs ₹254.54 crore in the year-ago period, while its revenue stood at ₹7,910.70 crore.