Patanjali misleading ad case: SC rebukes Ramdev, Balkrishna, asks ‘if apology is same size as your advertisements’
Patanjali ads case: The Supreme Court escalated its inquiries into misleading advertisements, emphasizing the protection of all consumer groups including children, babies, and women on April 23, during the hearing of Patanjali misleading ads case. The court criticized the Union government for its lax oversight, urging immediate action to safeguard these vulnerable groups from deceptive marketing practices.
“Now we are looking at everything… we are looking at children, babies, women, and no one can be taken for a ride and the Union government must wake up to this," the SC observed on April 23. Appearing for Ramdev, Mukul Rohatgi told the Supreme Court that an apology has been published in newspapers.
Supreme Court asks why the apology was published yesterday only. The Supreme Court then asked “if the apology is the same size as you publish advertisements in newspapers?" The apex court has expanded the scope of the ongoing case against Patanjali Ayurved, involving not only the company, but also key government ministries.
The ministries of Consumer Affairs and Information and Broadcasting are now co-respondents, tasked with addressing the court’s concerns about regulatory measures. Furthermore, state licensing authorities are being added as parties to ensure a comprehensive evaluation of the advertisement licensing and regulation framework across India.
“Not here to gun for a particular party, it is in the larger interest of consumers or the public on how they are being misled and their entitlement to know the truth and what steps they can take," the SC added. In a pointed remark, the Supreme Court also challenged the Indian Medical Association (IMA), highlighting that while the association has accused Patanjali of
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