‘Broken every barrier’: Supreme Court raps Baba Ramdev, Patanjali for ‘defiance’

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev issued an “unconditional apology” to the Supreme Court on Tuesday, after the bench rapped his company for non-compliance to earlier notices. The apex court slammed Patanjali Ayurved in the misleading advertising case, calling the firm out for “absolute defiance”.
Baba Ramdev and Patanjali managing director Acharya Balkrishna were summoned by the Supreme Court on April 2, after the company defied the court’s earlier order regarding misleading advertising.
The apex court bench also strongly disapproved of the earlier statement of Balkrishna, where he called the Drugs and Cosmetics (Magic Remedies) Act “archaic”.
3. The top court wondered as to why the Centre “chose to keep its eyes shut when Patanjali was going to town saying there were no remedy for Covid in allopathy”.
4. Senior advocate Balbir Singh, appearing for Ramdev, urged the court to take note of the presence of the yoga guru and his unconditional apology.
5. “What has happened should not have happened”, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court and offered to help the counsel for parties to find a solution to the whole issue.
6. The counsel appearing for Patanjali sought some more time to file an affidavit in the matter. “Sometimes things should reach logical conclusion,” the bench said.
7. The Supreme Court granted one last opportunity to Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna to file their affidavit in the matters in one week. Both have been asked to remain present during the next hearing, which is on April 10.
Last month, Balkrishna had tendered an unqualified apology to the apex court for advertising the herbal products of the firm claiming their medicinal efficacy in treating several serious diseases and running down other systems of medicine.
(With inputs from PTI)