New Delhi, Apr 23: The Supreme Court emphasised that the apologies issued by Patanjali Ayurved in newspapers for its misleading advertisements must be prominently displayed. The directive came during proceedings related to a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali and its founders against the COVID-19 vaccination drive and modern medicine.
Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, presiding over the case, raised concerns about the visibility of Patanjali’s apologies, questioning whether they were as conspicuous as the earlier misleading advertisements.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Patanjali Ayurved’s founders, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, acknowledged the financial burden of publishing such prominent apologies.
To assess the size and visibility of the apologies, the Bench instructed Patanjali to submit actual copies of the printed apologies without enlarging them. Justice Kohli emphasized that apologies should not require a microscope to be read and understood.
The Court’s interim order incorporated this directive, noting that the apologies published in newspapers had yet to be submitted for examination. Previously, the Court had reprimanded Patanjali Ayurved for misleading advertisements and criticized the casual nature of the apologies submitted by the company and its founders.
During earlier hearings, the Court had interacted directly with Ramdev and Balkrishna to evaluate the sincerity of their apologies. The duo assured the Court that they would take voluntary steps to demonstrate the genuineness of their apologies.