At the Patanjali’s misleading ads case hearing in Supreme Court on Tuesday, yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved’s managing director Acharya Balkrishna were present at the hearing and offered to tender a public apology……………
“I am willing to give a public apology…., We claim that we have an alternative system of medicine,” said Mukul Rohatgi appearing for Patanjali and Ramdev.
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A bench comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said they were not convinced of the plea and have asked Ramdev and Balakrishna to appear once again before the court at the next hearing of the case on April 23.
On April 10, the Supreme Court heard the contempt case against Patanjali Ayurved over misleading medical ads. Patanjali MD Acharya Balkrishna and Baba Ramdev were directed to be personally present before the Court. A bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah heard the matter.
The Supreme Court rejected the second affidavit of apology submitted by Patanjali and the bench warned them to be ready to face action in the contempt case.
Justice Kohli said, “Why should we not treat your apology with the same disdain as shown to the court undertaking? We are not convinced… Now a message must go to society.”
“Till the matter hit the Court, the contemnors did not find it fit to send us the (fresh apology) affidavits. They sent it to the media first… They believe in publicity clearly,” Justice Kohli said, as per reports from the court proceedings.
Balkrishna and Baba Ramdev had filed a fresh affidavit in the Supreme Court, on April 9, extending an “unconditional and unqualified apology” in the misleading ads case.
On April 2, the Supreme Court had pulled up Patanjali’s Ramdev and Acharya again and came down heavily on them for defying its orders. ‘Be ready for action’, the Supreme Court told Patanjali’s Ramdev and Balkrishna at previous hearings.