Ramdev's Unconditional Apology To Supreme Court In Misleading Ads Case

After being pulled up by the Supreme Court on several occasions, yoga guru Ramdev and his company Patanjali Ayurved’s managing director Acharya Balkrishna have tendered an unconditional apology to the court for not abiding by the undertaking given to it in the misleading advertisements case. 

The apology was submitted on Saturday and the Supreme Court will take up the matter for hearing again tomorrow. The yoga guru, popularly referred to as Baba Ramdev, and Mr Balkrishna have been asked to remain present for the hearing. 

On April 2, the court, had given a “last opportunity” to Ramdev and Mr Balkrishna to file a proper affidavit within a week and said that the earlier apology filed by them was “incomplete and mere lip service”.

Patanjali Ayurved had assured the Supreme Court on November 21 last year that it would not violate any law, especially those related to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it. The company had also given an assurance that “no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form”.

In the affidavit filed on Saturday, the yoga guru and Mr Balkrishna have written, “I hereby tender my unconditional apology in regard to the issue of advertisements… I sincerely regret this lapse and I wish to assure the Hon’ble court that the same will not be repeated. I hereby tender an unconditional and unqualified apology for the breach of the statement recorded in para 3 of the order of this Hon’ble court dated 21.11.2023.”

“l further undertake and ensure that the said statement shall be complied with in letter and spirit and no such similar advertisements shall be used… I seek pardon for the aforesaid breach of the statement. I undertake to always uphold the majesty of law and majesty of justice,” the affidavit states.

‘Last Opportunity’

In the hearing on April 2 on possible contempt proceedings, the Supreme Court had rejected Patanjali Ayurved’s defence for putting out misleading advertisements as well as the apology from Ramdev and Mr Balkrishna, terming it “lip service”.

Giving them a last opportunity to file affidavits within a week, the bench took strong note of their “absolute defiance” in not following the undertaking given before it in the case filed by the Indian Medical Association. “You have to abide by the undertaking given to court and you have broken every barrier,” the bench said.

Stating that the court was taking their apology with a “sack full of salt”. the bench also warned Patanjali, Ramdev and Balkrishna that it would take note of “perjury” as certain documents, which were said to be attached with other papers, were created later on.