Patanjali Ayurved Limiteds managing director, Acharya Balkrishna, has tendered an unconditional apology for the misleading claims made by his company regarding the miraculous properties of its products, which also cast doubt on the efficacy of modern medicine. This apology was submitted through an affidavit, following a summons requiring him to appear in person before the Supreme Court on April 2, along with Baba Ramdev.In his brief affidavit, Balkrishna expressed regret over the companys advertisement containing offending sentences. These statements were part of Patanjalis claims about curing various ailments like blood pressure, diabetes, and asthma, among others. Such assertions not only contravene the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, but also amount to contempt of court, given that the Supreme Court had previously restrained Patanjali from making such advertisements and had recorded an undertaking to that effect on November 21, 2023.Balkrishna stated in his affidavit that these claims were included inadvertently and apologised unequivocally for breaching the courts directive. He assured that steps would be taken to avoid similar advertisements in the future. However, he also criticised the 1954 law as archaic, mentioning the scientific data and research conducted by Patanjali in the field of Ayurveda, particularly concerning diseases listed in the Acts Schedule.The affidavit hinted at Patanjalis belief that their scientific evidence supports the efficacy claims made in the advertisements. Nevertheless, the specifics of this evidence were not elaborated upon. Balkrishna pointed out that the last changes to the law were made in 1996, implying that the legal framework may not fully accommodate recent advancements in Ayurvedic research.The Supreme Court, comprising justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, had previously reprimanded Balkrishna for not filing an affidavit within the stipulated two-week period following a directive issued on February 27. Subsequently, he was added as a party to the contempt proceedings, with Baba Ramdev also being brought into the legal fray.
