‘Will rip you apart’: SC slams govt officials, rejects apologies from Ramdev, Balkrishna
The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the second apology by Patanjali in the case of misleading advertisements, asking them to be ‘ready to face action.’’
The apex court refused to accept the affidavits of yoga guru Ramdev and his close aide Balkrishna of Patanjali Ayurved tendering unconditional apologies for publishing “misleading” advertisements, asserting the court doesn’t want to be “so generous” as they were issued after the duo was caught with their “back against the wall”.
A bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah came down heavily on the Patanjali duo, saying their actions were “wilful, deliberate and repeated violations ‘’ of the top court’s orders.
The bench also rapped Patanjali for releasing their apology affidavit first to the
public instead of submitting it to the court.
The apex court also slammed the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for its inaction on the issue and said it is not going to take it lightly as the authority appeared to have kept its “eyes shut deliberately”.
“We will rip you apart,” Justices Kohli and Amanullah told the counsel representing the authority in an unusually stern reprimand. Rebuking the licensing authority, the bench said that the Supreme Court has become a “mockery now.’’ “People think we sit in ivory towers. Your officers should be hauled up. You are hands-in gloves with Patanjali,’’ the top court added.
The top court observed that after the notices to show cause were issued to Ramdev and Balkrishna, they “attempted to
wriggle out” of their personal appearance before the court which is “most unacceptable”.
The court said that Patanjali MD and Ramdev tried to evade personal appearance before the court by making false claims of travel abroad.
In the affidavit affirmed on March 30, flight tickets dated March 31 were annexed.
“Having regard to the entire history of the matter and the
past conduct of the contemnors…, we have expressed our reservations about accepting the latest affidavit filed by them,” the bench said while dictating the order in the courtroom. The court fixed the matter for resumed hearing on April 16.
On the state authority, the top court said it was “appalled to note that except for pushing the files”