NEW DELHI: Patanjali Ayurved managing director
Acharya Balkrishna on Thursday submitted unqualified apology over alleged misleading advertisements to the
Supreme Court.
Balkrishna expressed his sincere apology to the highest court for the breach of the statement outlined in the court's order dated November 21, 2023. He assured that such advertisements would not be issued in the future.
Balkrishna regretted that the advertisement, originally intended to convey general information, inadvertently contained offensive content.
He clarified that this was unintentional and attributed it to the routine procedures of the company's media department, unaware of the court's order.
Furthermore, Balkrishna highlighted the outdated nature of Schedule J of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, and the lack of recent updates in relevant legislation. He stressed that Patanjali Ayurved now possesses evidence-based scientific data, demonstrating advancements in Ayurvedic research, aimed at addressing lifestyle-related medical issues and alleviating strain on the healthcare system.
The affidavit emphasised the company's commitment to promoting Ayurvedic products based on both traditional knowledge and contemporary scientific research.
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The SC had previously cautioned against misleading advertisements by the company and restrained it from advertising products as remedies for specific diseases, adhering to drug regulations.
The observations were made during Indian Medical Association (IMA) plea seeking to regulate guidelines in relation to allopathy and modern medicine. IMA, a registered society, has more than 3,30,000 medical doctors as its members all over the country. IMA's plea highlighted concerns about misinformation and disparagement of allopathy, seeking strict enforcement of relevant laws against such practices by companies like Patanjali Ayurved.
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