Supreme Court Rejects Ramdev's Apology in Patanjali 'Misleading' Ads Case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday declared that it does not accept the apology offered by Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna. This was in response to notices questioning why they should not face contempt of court proceedings for allegedly violating its directives.

The case, filed by the Indian Medical Association against Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, was heard by Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah. When Mukul Rohatki, representing Ramdev and Acharya, claimed that the apology was "unconditional and unqualified," Justice Kohli responded, "They are only on paper after they were caught on the wrong foot in court. We do not accept it, we decline to. We consider it a wilful, deliberate disobedience of the undertaking," as reported by the legal website Bar and Bench.

As previously reported by The Indian Express, the court expressed displeasure over an advertisement released by the company on December 4, 2023. This was after the company had assured the court on November 21, 2023, that it would refrain from making any "casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine."

In an affidavit filed on Tuesday, Ramdev pledged "to be more vigilant in the future." "I hereby tender my unconditional apology in regard to the issue of advertisements which occurred after the statement of counsel of Respondent No. 5 (Patanjali Ayurved) which was recorded in the order dated 21.11.2023, which I am informed has the force of an injunction. I sincerely regret this lapse and I wish to assure the Hon’ble court that the same will not be repeated," Ramdev stated in the affidavit.

He sought the court's "pardon for the...breach of the statement" made to the court and committed "to always uphold the Majesty of Law and Majesty of Justice."

Acharya Balkrishna also pledged not to issue any "such offending advertisements...in the future" and stated that "no further offending advertisements were issued after 27.02.2024."