The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Ready to give public apology: Balkrishna, Ramdev in SC
YOGA GURU Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna on Tuesday tendered their apologies in person to the Supreme Court for holding a press conference and publishing advertisements in violation of court orders, and said they were willing to give a “public apology to show contrition”.
“I am willing to give a public apology to show contrition and to tell the public that its not that I am doing some lip service in court…,” Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Balkrishna, told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah.
Inresponsetoqueriesfromthe bench on why he did not refrain fromdisparagingothersystemsof medicineandannouncehisclaims by parading patients on the stage instead of approaching the interdisciplinary medical committee with evidence to back his claims, Ramdev said, “Aage se mein is tathya ke prati 100 per cent jagrook rahunga(iwillbe100percentalert to this fact hereafter). It’s not good for me too that such things happen. It happened in zest for work. Will not do it in future.”
The court had pulled up the yoga guru over a press conference he held on November 22, 2023 in Haridwar and an advertisement issued by the company on December 4, 2023, in alleged violation of a November 21, 2023 undertaking to the court that “henceforth there shall not be any violation of any law(s), especially relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it (Patanjali Ayurved) and, further, that no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any form”.
Taking note of the submissions on Tuesday, the bench adjourned the hearing till April 23. It said in the order, “Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for the proposed contemnors submits that to redeem themselves and demonstrate their bonafides, they (Ramdev and Balkrishna) propose to take some steps…and request one week’s time to revert on the aforesaid aspect. This court has interacted with the proposed contenmors and heard their submissions. At the request of the respondents, list on April 23 (next hearing).”
The bench told the duo it had not decided yet whether it should forgive them as it had to consider their previous history too. “At this moment we are not saying they are off the hook either,” Justice Kohli told Rohatgi.
During the interaction with the bench in Hindi, Ramdev said at the very outset that he had already tendered an “unconditional and unqualified” apology for the “mistakes”.
Justice Kohli then told him that Ayurveda had been going on since the time of Maharishi Charak. Pointing out that there are also other systems of medicine like Siddha and Unani, she asked if it was necessary to speak ill of other systems of medicines to promote Ayurveda.
Ramdev replied it was never his intention to disrespect the court. He said that Patanjali had done a lot to make Ayurveda an evidence-based practice and that he did not want to criticise any other system of medicine.
Justice Kohli told him that he should have approached the interdisciplinary medical committee set up under the Union of India if he had some evidence on curative effects of a drug, instead of parading someone on stage and announcing that he had been cured of all illnesses.
Justice Kohli added that no one had the right to speak ill of other systems to promote their own. Ramdev agreed, and assured to take care in the future.