Ads case: SC asks Baba Ramdev, Balkrishna to issue public apology

The Supreme Court Tuesday granted oneweek time to yoga guru Ramdev his aide Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved to issue a public apology in the misleading advertisements case but said it was not letting them off the hook nowBoth Ramdev and Balkrishna were present during the hearing and personally tendered an unqualified apology to the apex courtA bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah took note of their apologies but made it clear that at this stage it has not decided to let them off the hookYou are doing good work but you cant degrade allopathy the bench told Balkrishna while interacting with himRamdev who also interacted with the bench said he had no intention to show disrespect to the court in any mannerHowever the bench told Balkrishna that they Patanjali are not so innocent that they didnt know what the top court had said in its earlier orders in the caseI am willing to give a public apology senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Ramdev and Balkrishna told the bench at the outsetThe apex court asked Ramdev and Balkrishna both of whom were present in the court to come forward for an interaction with the bench They should feel they have a connect with the court the bench saidThe apex court has now posted the matter for further hearing on April 23Ramdev and Balkrishna had last week tendered an unconditional and unqualified apology before the top court over advertisements issued by the firm making tall claims about the medicinal efficacy of its productsIn two separate affidavits filed in the court Ramdev and Balkrishna have tendered an unqualified apology for the breach of the statement recorded in the November 21 last year order of the apex courtIn the November 21 2023 order the top court had noted that counsel representing Patanjali Ayurved had assured it that henceforth there shall not be any violation of any laws especially relating to advertising or branding of products manufactured and marketed by it and further that no casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine will be released to the media in any formThe top court had said Patanjali Ayurved Ltd is bound down to such assuranceThe nonobservance of the specific assurance and the subsequent media statements irked the apex court which later issued a notice to them to explain why contempt proceedings be not initiated against themThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever