Magic cures are a thing of the quackery, known to exist since times immemorial. However, it is when the twain meets modern day advertising that the damage can be often serious and sometimes irreversible. Two days after the Supreme Court ordered Patanjali's managing director and Baba Ramdev to personally appear before the court, the MD of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd Acharya Balkrishna tendered an unqualified apology before the court for publishing misleading advertisements regarding the medicines and their cures.
Sorry, we didn't know
In an affidavit, Balkrishna said that he regretted the company's advertisement containing the "offending sentences". The advertisement in question, not only claimed a miracle cure of its formulations but also cast aspersions on modern medicine.
Balkrishna also claimed in his affidavit that the advertisement included these claims "inadvertently" and that the department that issued the advertisement did not know of the court order. "The deponent regrets that the advertisement in question, which was meant to contain only general statements, inadvertently included the offending sentences. The deponent on behalf of respondent (Patanjali Ayurved) submits an unqualified apology before this Court for the breach of the statement recorded in the order of November 21, 2023. The deponent will ensure such advertisements are not issued in future," read the affidavit.
In its advertisement, the company had claimed to cure a range if illnesses such as blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, and other ailments in violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and also contempt of Court because in its November 21, 2023 order, the SC had restrained Patanjali from issuing such advertisements.
Earlier in February, the Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah had come down heavily on the company and issued a contempt notice to the Ayurvedic company for continuing to publish advertisements in violation of the advertising guidelines and despite the assurance given by Patanjali's counsel before the Court that it would refrain from making such advertisements and marketing practices.
The court order comes in the wake of a petition filed by Indian Medical Association (IMA) seeking to restrain Patanjali from making false and misleading claims for miraculously curing diseases and showing modern medicine negatively. The Union Government is also a party in the petition. The SC also asked Centre to file a response clearly stating what action had been taken against the company for violations conducted by it. In its response given on Monday, the Centre said that it is the State Licensing Authority that is supposed to act on misleading ads. The case is now due for next hearing on April 2.
This is not the conglomerate's first brush with being on the wrong side of law, as Patanjali had earlier also made similar claims at the launch of Coronil in 2020. The Maharashtra government banned Coronil and Madras High Court also slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh on the firm.
Memes take over
Some of the netizens and memes have been aptly explaining as to all that transpired among the three, that is Baba Ramdev's Patanjali, the Supreme Court and the gullible consumers. Is an unconditional apology, for the company's misleading claims and miraculous abilities of its formulations, enough? Questioned the users collectively. But it is the satire and memes that took over the news rather than condemnatory language. "In India, apparently you can violate rules, play with the health of millions and say sorry at the end," said an angry user.
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