New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected the apologies filed by Swami Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, MD Patanjali, in relation to misleading advertisements claiming cures for various diseases.
A bench comprising justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said the court is not blind and told senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing Ramdev and Balkrishna, that it is not convinced with the apology tendered by them. The bench said they are taking the proceedings very lightly and also pointed at the perjury committed by them, regarding documents submitted in the court.
The apex court said it does not accept Ramdev and Balkrishna’s apology and the court considers it a wilful, deliberate disobedience of undertaking. “We do not want to be generous in this case", said the bench, adding that their back is against the wall and they have been caught on the wrong foot.
Justice Kohli said, why should we not treat your apology with the same disdain as shown to court undertaking? The apex court stressed that a message should go to the society. The apex court pulled up the Uttarakhand government counsel for failing to act against Patanjali. The hearing is in progress. During the hearing, the apex court said it was not just about one FMCG but violation of the law, while pointing at Patanjali’s replies to state authority.
The bench said Balkrishna and Ramdev tried to evade personal appearance before the court by making false claims of travel abroad. The bench said in the affidavit affirmed on March 30, flight tickets dated March 31 were annexed and when the affidavit was sworn, flight tickets were not in existence.