New Delhi: Baba Ramdev’s company, Patanjali, is facing increasing legal troubles. On Friday, the Delhi High Court sought a response from the Center regarding a petition that calls for action against the alleged misbranding of Patanjali’s dental product, Divya Dant Manjan, as vegetarian.
Allegations of Misbranding
The petitioner’s lawyer, Yatin Sharma, claims that although Divya Dant Manjan is sold with a green dot indicating it is a vegetarian product, it contains fish extract, a non-vegetarian ingredient. This discrepancy has led to allegations of wrongful branding.
Legal Proceedings
Justice Sanjeev Narula has issued notices to the Center, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Patanjali, Divya Pharmacy, Yoga Guru Ramdev, and other related parties. The petition argues that the green dot on the packaging, which signifies a vegetarian product, is misleading and falls under wrongful branding as per the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. The next hearing is scheduled for November.
Fish Extract Controversy
Advocates Swapnil Chaudhary and Prashant Gupta, representing the petitioner, stated that Divya Dant Manjan contains “sea foam” (Sepia officinalis), derived from the fish extract. The petitioner expressed distress, noting that his family, who adhere to a strict vegetarian diet due to religious beliefs, unknowingly consumed a non-vegetarian product.
Previous Legal Issues
This year has been particularly challenging for Baba Ramdev and Patanjali. Recently, the Supreme Court reprimanded Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna for misleading advertisements about Patanjali products. Following this, both had to appear in court and apologize. The Supreme Court also directed Patanjali Ayurveda to cease publishing any advertisements related to its medicines, citing that such ads mislead the public. After several months of hearings, the Supreme Court recently halted contempt proceedings against Ramdev and Balkrishna.
