The Supreme Court of India has issued a stern warning to Patanjali Ayurved, co-founded by Baba Ramdev, for its misleading advertisements targeting allopathic medicines. The bench, comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra, expressed serious concerns over the company’s advertising practices, particularly those making unverified claims about the curative properties of its products.
During the hearing of a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), the court emphasized the need for responsible advertising in the medical field. Justice Amanullah stated,
“All such false and misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately. The Court will take any such infraction very seriously, and the Court will also consider imposing costs to the extent of Rs. 1 crores on every product regarding which a false claim is made that it can ‘cure’ a particular disease.”
The court directed Patanjali Ayurved to refrain from publishing any such misleading advertisements in the future and to ensure that casual statements are not made in the press. The bench clarified that it did not wish to turn the issue into an “Allopathy v. Ayurveda” debate but sought a real solution to the problem of misleading medical advertisements.
The IMA’s petition raised concerns over the “continuous, systematic, and unabated spread of misinformation” regarding allopathy and the modern system of medicine. The plea referred to a half-page advertisement published by Patanjali on July 10, 2022, titled
“MISCONCEPTIONS SPREAD BY ALLOPATHY: SAVE YOURSELF AND THE COUNTRY FROM THE MISCONCEPTIONS SPREAD BY PHARMA AND MEDICAL INDUSTRY.”
The IMA contends that while every commercial entity has the right to promote its products, the unverified claims made by Patanjali are in direct violation of laws such as the Drugs & Other Magic Remedies Act, 1954, and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The petition also highlighted previous instances where Swami Ramdev, associated with Patanjali, made controversial statements, including calling allopathy a “stupid and bankrupt science” and making unfounded claims about the deaths of people due to allopathic medicines during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Supreme Court asked the Centre government to come out with workable recommendations in this regard and slated the hearing for February 5, 2024. This development marks a significant step in addressing the issue of misleading advertisements in the healthcare sector and underscores the responsibility of companies in promoting their products.
