Patanjali fallout: SC glare on celebrities, advertisers
After Patanjali, other advertisers and endorsers of deceptive ad campaigns related to food and health products have come under the Supreme Court's scanner.
On Tuesday, a bench comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice A. Amanullah said advertisers should submit selfdeclaration forms confirming their compliance with cable TV rules and advertising codes before airing ads. These declarations must be uploaded to the Broadcast Seva portal before the ads are aired, it said.
It also warned that endorsers, including celebrities and influencers, would have equal liability for promoting deceptive products or services.
The court tasked the consumer affairs ministry with establishing within four weeks a system for advertisers to submit self-declarations for printmedia ads.
The court asked the ministry to file a fresh affidavit on the actions taken by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) against false or misleading ads, particularly related to food and health.
The court ordered the removal from stores of Patanjali products that have had their licences cancelled by state authorities, noting that suspended licences should result in immediate halting of sales. The court also criticised a state licensing authority for failing to ensure the removal of such products from shelves.
Further, the apex court issued a notice to the president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dr R.V. Ashokan, regarding a contempt plea initiated by Patanjali for his allegedly disparaging comments about the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court's rebuke of Patanjali stems from a plea the IMA filed against the company and its founders, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, accusing them of running a smear campaign against modern medicine.
In previous hearings, the court had expanded the scope of the case to include misleading ads concerning ‘cures’ by other FMCG companies. It also directed various Union ministries and state departments to examine violations of the Drugs