Published on: April 16, 15:34 IST
Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna have offered a personal apology to the Supreme Court following a case where they were criticized for holding a press conference and publishing advertisements in violation of court orders.
Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing them, expressed their willingness to give a public apology to demonstrate contrition. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, raised concerns about disparaging other systems of medicine and announcing claims without approaching the interdisciplinary medical committee.
“I am willing to give a public apology to show contrition and to tell the public that it is not that I am doing only some lip service in court…,” Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for them, Submitted to the Court.
Supreme Court also raised queries on whether he should not have refrained from disparaging other systems of medicine and announcing his claims by parading patients on the stage instead of approaching the interdisciplinary medical committee. To this, Ramdev said, “Aap theek keh rahe hai ki karodon log mujhse judey hain aur aage se mein is tathya ke prati 100 per cent jagrook rahunga. Aur is tarah ki kisi bhi paristhithi ka mujhe bhi saamna karna pade, yeh mere liye bhi shochaneey hai… Humne anusandhan ke jo kaary ke utsah mein aisa hogaya. Aage se nahi karenge (You are right that there are crores of people connected with me and from now I will be 100 per cent alert to this fact. I too am not happy that such things happen. It happened on impulse. Will not do in future).”
Ramdev acknowledged the court’s concerns and expressed regret for the incident, stating that he would be more vigilant in the future. The court was particularly upset about a press conference held by Ramdev in Haridwar on November 22, 2023, and an advertisement issued by Patanjali on December 4, 2023, which allegedly violated an undertaking given by them on November 21, 2023, to refrain from such actions following a petition by the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
After the court refused to accept their previous apology, Ramdev and Balkrishna expressed readiness to tender a public apology. The bench adjourned the hearing in the case until April 23, noting that the proposed contemnors had expressed their intention to take steps to redeem themselves and demonstrate their good faith. The court granted them one week to revert on this aspect.
The development comes in the wake of ongoing legal proceedings initiated by the IMA against Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved over their public statements and advertisements related to medical claims.