Supreme Court Summons Patanjali's Acharya Balkrishna and Yoga Guru Ramdev for Contempt Hearing

The Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 19, asked Ayurvedic company Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna and Yoga Guru Ramdev to appear before the court on the next date of hearing for not responding to the contempt notice in the company's misleading advertisement case.

A bench of justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah took strong exception to the failure of the company and Balkrishna in filing replies to the court's notices issued to them earlier to show why contempt proceedings be not initiated against them for prima facie violating the undertaking given to the court. The bench also issued notice to Ramdev to show cause why contempt proceedings be not initiated against him.

Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna Summoned by Supreme Court

Supreme Court asks Ayurvedic company Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna and Yog Guru Ramdev to appear before it on the next date of hearing for not responding to the contempt notice. pic.twitter.com/LNyvgNlx4I

— ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2024

Earlier on February 28, the apex court issued a contempt notice to yoga guru Ramdev’s company, Patanjali Ayurved and its managing director, Acharya Balakrishna, for continuing to run misleading advertisements that claimed to cure several diseases permanently. Saying that the entire country had been “taken for a ride,” the top court temporarily banned Patanjali from running medical advertisements.

The apex court also rapped the Union government for “sitting with its eyes shut” and not acting on the advertisements. It was hearing a case filed by the Indian Medical Association last year against Patanjali regarding its advertisements against modern medicine, including India’s COVID-19 vaccination drive.