Commercial interests should not override public health and safety, emphasizes the apex court
In a renewed escalation against Patanjali Ayurved, the Supreme Court of India has intensified its crackdown on the company’s misleading advertisements, citing grave concerns over public health and safety. The apex court, on Tuesday, issued a stern warning to Patanjali’s co-founder, Baba Ramdev, and threatened to initiate perjury proceedings alongside contempt charges.
The Court’s rebuke follows a series of flagrant violations by Patanjali, despite assurances made to the Court last November, resulting in a contempt notice issued against the company in February. At the core of the controversy lies Patanjali’s promotion of Coronil as a cure for COVID-19, a claim vehemently refuted by medical experts and found to be in breach of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
Emboldened by the absence of significant punitive actions, Patanjali escalated its deceptive marketing campaign, extending claims to curing non-communicable diseases and disparaging evidence-based medicine, further exacerbating concerns surrounding public health. Despite a warning from the Court in November 2023 and subsequent threats of hefty fines, Patanjali persisted in its defiance, even holding a press conference to defend its products.
Critically, the Court has raised suspicions of governmental complicity in the matter, citing the lack of restraining orders against Patanjali’s misleading advertisements. The absence of decisive governmental intervention in curbing Patanjali’s deceptive practices raises significant apprehensions regarding favoritism in the health and medicine sector, an issue fraught with peril.
The Court’s unequivocal stance underscores the imperative of safeguarding public health against the encroachment of commercial interests. With lives at stake, the judiciary’s vigilance serves as a crucial bulwark against the perils posed by unscrupulous actors in the pharmaceutical landscape.