Patanjali in court: SC pulls up company, warns FMCG firms against misleading ads
On April 16th, the court issued a directive to Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna from Patanjali. They were given a week to publicly apologize for releasing misleading advertisements concerning health remedies. But this isn’t the only time Patanjali has gotten in trouble for misleading the masses. Keep scrolling for the full story.
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The Big Ayurvedic Scam
The latest proceedings against the firm started in 2022 after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) went to court against a "false" advertisement claiming that the firm's products could cure thyroid, diabetes and even macular degeneration.
He lists out a range of health issues - from fever and typhoid to liver damage and skin problems - and chides his audience for using "poisonous, synthetic" medicines to treat such illnesses. He urges them to use Patanjali products instead.
But this isn’t Patanjali’s first rodeo with misleading products.
In 2022, Patanjali's "pure cow ghee" failed a food safety test, but Baba Ramdev dismissed the findings by saying that the samples had been tampered with.
In 2023, the brand was sent a legal notice for allegedly using cuttlefish in a dental product marked as vegetarian.
Baba Ramdev’s close ties with PM Narendra Modi and the BJP has also raised suspicion in the past.
A 2017 investigation by Reuters news agency found that his business had boomed since the BJP came to power and Patanjali had been able to acquire thousands of acres of land in BJP-ruled states at discounted prices to set up factories and research centres.
After the warning issued by the court, the supreme court questioned Patanjali Ayurved about the size and cost of their first newspaper apology compared to their usual big ads for herbal drugs. In response, Patanjali issued a ‘bigger’ apology in newspapers on April 24, calling it an "unconditional public apology" for not following the Supreme Court's orders.
