May initiate contempt action if states, UTs non compliant against misleading ads: Supreme Court
Supreme Court on Wednesday warned states and union territories of contempt action if they failed to act against misleading advertisements. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan perused a note submitted by senior advocate Shadan Farasat, who is assisting the apex court as an amicus curiae in the matter, and observed a number of states were non-compliant as indicated in the note.
Budget with ET
India’s growing trade imbalance with China: Can Budget 2025 provide a solution?
Will Chandrababu Naidu-ruled Andhra Pradesh continue to be Modi govt's focus point?
Tax cuts, tariff, growth strategies top Indian industry's Budget wish list
«We make it clear that if we find non-compliance by any of the states and union territories, we may have to initiate proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, against the states concerned,» the bench said.
The issue pertaining to misleading advertisements had cropped up before the top court while hearing a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association in 2022 alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali Ayurved Ltd against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.
The top court had highlighted the aspect of misleading advertisements being published or displayed in media contrary to the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and the rules, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the amicus said as per the affidavits filed by the states and union
