Acharya Balkrishna, the managing director of Patanjali Ayurved and a close associate of Yoga guru Ramdev, has submitted an apology to the Supreme Court concerning the company’s misleading assertions regarding its products and their medicinal effectiveness.
This apology was presented through an affidavit filed yesterday, following the court’s stern rebuke of Patanjali Ayurved for its failure to address a contempt notice regarding deceptive advertisements. Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah had summoned Balkrishna and Ramdev to appear in court on April 2nd. In his affidavit, Balkrishna expressed utmost respect for the rule of law and offered an unequivocal apology. He pledged that the company would take decisive steps to prevent the dissemination of such misleading advertisements in the future.
Balkrishna clarified that Patanjali’s aim is solely to encourage citizens to lead healthier lives by consuming its products, which are designed to address lifestyle ailments based on ancient literature and supported by ayurvedic research. He also criticized the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, labeling them as outdated. According to him, these laws were established at a time when scientific evidence in Ayurvedic research was lacking
However, Patanjali now possesses evidence-based scientific data from clinical research conducted in Ayurveda, demonstrating advancements made in addressing diseases mentioned in the Act. The affidavit emphasized Patanjali’s commitment to promoting holistic, evidence-based solutions for lifestyle-related medical issues, aiming to alleviate the burden on the country’s healthcare system through the traditional approaches of Ayurveda and Yoga.
