Ramdev tenders unconditional apology in SC, gets one week to take redeeming steps
Facing contempt action, self-styled yoga guru Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna unconditionally apologised in an open court room on Tuesday for violating a Supreme Court order to not advertise the herbal products of their company, Patanjali Ayurved. However, the court said they were still “not o the hook”.
A Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah gave the duo a week to prove they were truly sorry.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi assured the court that his clients would take steps, unilaterally at that, to redeem themselves in the eyes of the law and the public. The court listed the case on April 23.
The hearing began with the Bench summoning Mr. Ramdev and Mr. Balkrishna to the front of the courtroom. Justice Kohli addressed Ramdevand said the court was aware of his work in the eld of yoga.
The Bench, however, asked him why he had continued to advertise his herbal medicines despite the Union government recommending an investigation against them under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act.
‘Deliberate and wilful’
The court had said the advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved, which promised to cure everything from diabetes and obesity to liver dysfunction and even COVID-19 during the months of pandemic, were “deliberate and wilful violations” of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements)
Act of 1954 and its Rules.
The judges questioned him as to why he had held a press conference, that too a day after giving an undertaking in the Supreme Court that they would refrain from advertising “cures” in violation of the 1954 Act.
Justice Kohli asked Mr. Ramdev whether it was right to point the nger against other elds of medicine, including allopathy, and claim his company’s medicines were far superior to them.
Justice Kohli said it was “irresponsible behaviour” on his part to make such claims when a large number of people looked up to him.
At one point, the yoga guru admitted that he might have been carried away at some point with his claims.
He folded his hands in apology to the Supreme Court, saying he would be prudent in future. Mr. Balkrishna echoed the yoga guru saying he had realised his faults. He said it was lack of knowledge on his part.
Justice Amanullah said the “law was equally for all”. Judges of the court followed the Constitution they had sworn an oath to uphold. It did not matter who was on the other side, the majesty of the court had to be safeguarded.
The court had agged concern over fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies such as Patanjali Ayurved playing with the health of the gullible public while the government failed to crack the whip.