New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has strongly criticized Patanjali Ayurved, a company that produces and sells herbal products, for its advertisements that claim to be superior to allopathy medicines and vaccination in curing diseases. The court has asked the company to explain how it can make such claims without any scientific evidence or approval.
Patanjali Ayurved defies court order and publishes ads
The court’s displeasure came after Patanjali Ayurved published advertisements in newspapers, despite the court’s previous order to refrain from doing so. The advertisements suggested that the company’s products can prevent and treat various ailments, including COVID-19, without any side effects or dependency.
Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah, who was hearing the case, brought the newspaper to the court and showed the advertisement to the company’s lawyers. He asked them how they had the audacity to publish such ads after the court’s order. He told them that they were provoking the court and inviting trouble.
Court threatens to impose heavy fine on Patanjali Ayurved
Justice Amanullah said that the court was going to pass a very strict order against the company. He asked how the company could claim to cure diseases with its products, when there was no scientific basis or approval for them. He said that the company was undermining the efforts of the medical fraternity and the government in fighting the pandemic. He also said that the central government should take action against the company for violating the law and misleading the public.
The court asked the company’s lawyers to examine the advertisement and respond to it. The court adjourned the hearing for some time.
Court had warned Patanjali Ayurved earlier
This was not the first time that the court had warned Patanjali Ayurved for its advertisements. In an earlier hearing, the court had asked the company not to make any false or misleading claims about its products. The court had said that it could impose a fine of Rs 1 crore on each product, if it was found that the company was falsely claiming to cure a particular disease.
The court had also asked the central government to submit a proposal on how to deal with misleading medical advertisements. The court was hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association, which had challenged the advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved and accused the company of spreading misinformation and creating panic among the people.
