India's top court on Tuesday barred consumer firm Patanjali Ayurved, co-founded by one of the country's most prominent yoga gurus, from advertising traditional ayurvedic medications that claim to cure certain conditions.
Indian Medical Association's dispute with Patanjali
The Supreme Court judgment came as part of an ongoing legal dispute with the Indian Medical Association, which accused Patanjali of degrading alternative types of traditional treatment. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who co-founded Patanjali, has previously refuted the criticism and accused some doctors of disseminating misinformation about traditional medicines, which are extremely popular in India.
According to the court, Patanjali broke its assurance to courts last year in the ongoing case that it would not publish advertisements that made "casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy".
The ruling came after a representative for the Indian Medical Association informed the court that Ramdev's firm has continued to run newspaper ads claiming to have a permanent solution for ailments like high blood pressure, asthma, and diabetes. The justices also asked Patanjali why it should not file contempt of court charges against the corporation.
It stated that until further instructions, Patanjali Ayurved will be banned from promoting or branding products that are listed as diseases, disorders, or ailments in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act of 1954.
About Patanjali
Ramdev, a yoga teacher, cofounded Patanjali in 2006. He has a large fan base in India and uses his TV broadcasts to promote yoga as a treatment for a variety of diseases. Patanjali sells personal care items and ayurvedic medications, but the company has frequently attracted criticism from doctors and activists who accuse it of making false claims regarding medicinal benefits.