In a significant development, the licensing authority in Uttarakhand has suspended the manufacturing licenses of 14 Patanjali products, effective immediately, citing misleading advertisements. Notably, 13 out of the 14 products are manufactured by Divya Yoga Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Patanjali.
The move comes in the wake of legal challenges facing Ramdev’s enterprises, amidst allegations of false claims regarding traditional Ayurvedic medicines sold by Patanjali Ayurveda. The Supreme Court has reprimanded Baba Ramdev for non-compliance with its directives in an ongoing case to cease misleading advertisements of certain traditional Ayurvedic medicines.
The suspension of manufacturing permits was ordered on April 15 by the drug regulator of traditional medicines in Uttarakhand. Earlier on February 27, the Supreme Court issued a contempt notice to Baba Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna for disseminating misleading health cure advertisements. The court had specifically barred Patanjali from promoting products with unverified claims of curing diseases like heart conditions and asthma.
In response, Patanjali Ayurveda issued an apology on April 22, pledging to avoid such mistakes in the future. However, during the April 23 hearing, the Supreme Court questioned the sincerity of the apology, suggesting it was disproportionate to the scale of the misleading advertisements.
On April 24, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna published a new public apology in newspapers. The Supreme Court is scheduled to review the matter related to this apology on Tuesday, concerning the misleading advertisement case against Patanjali Ayurveda.
The products by Divya Yoga Pharmacy facing license suspension include:
Drishti Eye drop
Swasari Gold
Swasari Vati
Bronchom
Swasari Pravahi
Swasari Avaleh
Mukta Vati Extra Power
Lipidom
Bp Grit
Madhugrit
Madhunashini Vati Extra Power
Livamrit Advance
Livogrit
Eyegrit Gold
The decision to suspend manufacturing licenses underscores the gravity of ensuring transparency and accuracy in advertising, particularly in the realm of health-related products.
