The Supreme Court today firmly rejected the apologies tendered by Ramdev and Balkrishna, the founders of Patanjali, over misleading advertisements issued by their company. The apex court, displaying its displeasure, questioned why it should not treat the apologies with the same disdain as shown to the court undertaking.

A bench comprising Justice Hima Kohli and Justice A Amanullah expressed dissatisfaction with the apologies and noted that they were sent to the media before reaching the court. The bench remarked, “The apology is on paper. Their back is against the wall. We decline to accept this, we consider it a deliberate violation of undertaking.”

Ramdev and Balkrishna had filed separate affidavits in the apex court, tendering an “unconditional and unqualified apology” for the breach of the statement recorded in the court’s order dated November 21, 2023. In the said order, the court had emphasized that Patanjali Ayurved Ltd must refrain from violating any laws, particularly pertaining to advertising or branding, and from making unsubstantiated claims about the medicinal efficacy of its products.

However, the court noted the non-observance of the assurance given by Patanjali’s counsel and the subsequent media statements, which prompted it to issue a show-cause notice to Ramdev and Balkrishna regarding contempt proceedings.