Patanjali Ayurved and its MD Acharya Balkrishna have filed an unconditional apology before the Supreme Court for airing misleading advertisements on medicinal cures.
Expressing regret, they undertook not to repeat it.
The top court had ordered Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna to personally appear befor it on April 2 over the row. In November 2023, the company had given assurance to the Supreme Court that it will not make any statements or unsubstantiated claims about medical efficacy or criticising the system of medicine.
Despite the assurance given by Patanjali before the Supreme Court, misleading advertisements continued to be put out by the company.
Acharya Balakrishna in his affidavit before the top court has said that the advertisements released after November were meant to contain only “general statements” but inadvertently included the “offending sentences”
Patanjali further said that the said advertisements were cleared by the Media Department of Patanjali who were not cognisant of the Supreme Court order. “We will ensure that such advertisements are not issued in the future. By way of clarification, not as a defense, the deponent begs to submit that its intention is only to exhort the citizens of this country to lead a healthier life by consuming Patanjali products including products for lifestyle ailments through the use age old literature and materials supplementing and backed by ayurvedic research”.
Patanjali said Drugs and Magic Remedies act is ‘archaic’ and the last changes in the law were made as far back as 1996. Further, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act was passed when scientific research in Ayurveda was lacking.
“Our only quest is for a better and healthier life for each and every citizen and to reduce the burden on the countries healthcare infrastructure by providing holistic, evidence based solutions for lifestyle related medical complications through the usage of age old traditional approach of Ayurveda and Yoga,” the company said.
