Supreme Court Bans Patanjali's Medicinal Advertisements, Issues Contempt Notice to Ramdev and Balkrishna

The Supreme Court, in a scathing interim order, has imposed a ban on advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved's medicines, citing misleading claims without empirical evidence. The bench criticized the Central government for not addressing the issue despite a 2022 petition. Justice Hima Kohli remarked, "The entire country has been taken for a ride!" The Court restrained Patanjali from advertising medicinal products treating specific diseases and cautioned against adverse statements on other forms of medicine.

The order extends a contempt of court notice to Patanjali's founders, Baba Ramdev, and Acharya Balkrishna, for violating previous orders by propagating false and misleading claims about their products. The Indian Medical Association's plea highlighted concerns about a smear campaign against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine. The Court had earlier warned of imposing costs for false claims in Patanjali's advertisements.

The Court emphasized the need for a solution to misleading medical advertisements, rejecting Patanjali's comparisons between allopathy and Ayurvedic products. During the hearing, the bench criticized Patanjali's post-order press conference, stating, "You had the courage and guts to still come up with these advertisements after our order; you are tempting the Court."

The Court questioned the AYUSH Ministry's inaction and pressed the government to show steps taken against misleading advertisements. The Additional Solicitor General conceded that misleading ads are impermissible, emphasizing the Court's concern for the common man. The ban restricts Patanjali from making disease-related claims in advertisements until further orders.

Author: Anushka Taraniya

News Writer, MIT ADT University