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This story is from April 11, 2024

Your apology not worth paper it's written on, SC tells Ramdev; slams Uttarakhand government

Supreme Court toughens stance on Baba Ramdev, Balkrishna, Patanjali Ayurved for misleading ads, rejecting apology. Justices criticize false statements, warn of consequences, and question Uttarakhand govt's inaction since 2018 complaint. “We are not going to leave you. We will rip you apart. You are hand in glove with them,” the bench told the state licensing authority.
Your apology not worth paper it's written on, SC tells Ramdev; slams Uttarakhand government
Photo/Agencies
NEW DELHI: More trouble seems to be in store for Baba Ramdev, his disciple Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved, with Supreme Court on Wednesday toughening its stand against them in a contempt case for issuing misleading advertisements in violation of its order, turning down their unconditional apology and asking them to be ready for the consequences.
"Your apology is not worth the paper it's written on, we decline to accept it.
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It was a deliberate violation of the court's order and undertaking given to the court (to refrain from misleading claims and advertisements). Tendering apology is not enough. You suffer the consequences. We do not want to be generous in this case. We are wondering why we should not treat your apology with the same disdain with which you treated the undertaking," a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said while emphasising that the yoga guru and his associate, both of whom were present in court, had sought to mislead the court by making false statements in order to dodge summons for personal appearance.
We will rip you apart, SC tells Uttarakhand government in Patanjali case
The bench also lambasted Uttarakhand govt for not taking any action against Patanjali Ayurved in the past five years since the complaint was filed in 2018 and said the court would "rip the authority apart" for being in slumber. “We are not going to leave you. We will rip you apart. Except for pushing your files, your officers did nothing. It looks that you were not even aware of the law. You are hand in glove with them,” the bench told the state licensing authority.
The court issued notice to all district Ayurvedic and Unani officers of Haridwar who handled the charge from 2018 onwards. Ramdev and his disciple are also in trouble on other counts as the bench noted that they tried to wriggle out of personal appearance by stating on affidavit that they were to visit a foreign country but there was no ticket at the time of filing the affidavit — something which comes within the ambit of perjury.

At the outset of the hearing, the bench said the contemnors were taking the court very lightly and added that the apology was tendered under duress to save themselves as the contemptuous acts had been committed thrice.
As senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Balkrishna, and solicitor general Tushar Mehta said the affidavit was filed as per their instruction and asked what more could be done by them, the court said, “You have done what you could but we are not convinced.” The counsel pleaded that the case be heard after 10 days but the bench told them that it was for the court to decide and posted the case to April 16.
After Patanjali, it was the turn of the state licensing authority to face the music from SC for “deliberately keeping their eyes shut” over the years and not taking action against the company for violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act. It said the state kept twiddling its thumbs when the law was being violated with impunity by the company. “We are appalled that except for pushing files, the state licensing authority did nothing. First time, misleading advertisements were brought to your notice in 2018. In all these five years, the authority remained in deep slumber,” the bench said.
The incumbent officer, who has been in the post for nine months, appeared before the court with folded hands and said he could not be made accountable for the delay and assured to take prompt action as per law. “Now, wisdom has dawned upon you in just half-an-hour,” the bench said and issued notice to his predecessor who held the post for three years and sought his explanation for the inaction.
Ramdev and Balkrishna, who have been asked to appear again on April 16, acknowledge the mistake and promised not to issue misleading advertisements of their products in violation of law. They pledged to uphold the majesty of law and majesty of justice.
“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 Nov 21, 2023, which I am informed has the force of an injunction. I sincerely regret this lapse and I wish to assure the court that the same will not be repeated. I further undertake and ensure that the said statement shall be complied with in letter and spirit and no such similar advertisements shall be issued. I further tender my unconditional and unqualified apology for the press conference held on Nov 22. I regret this lapse and assure that the same will not be repeated again in future,” Ramdev said in his affidavit.
Ramdev had held a press conference on Nov 22, just a day after SC passed an order in which the company’s undertaking was recorded that it would not issue misleading advertisements. However, the company continued taking out full-page advertisements in newspapers.
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