Acharya Balkrishna, the managing director of Patanjali Ayurved, has tendered an unconditional apology over its advertisements targeting evidence-based medicine before the Supreme Court today.
An affidavit was filed by Balkrishna before the top court stating Patanjali will not repeat such ads which were only meant to promote ayurveda.
The affidavit said the deponent will ensure that such advertisements are not issued in the future. By way of clarification, not as a defense, the Deponent begs to submit that its intention is only to exhort the citizens of this country to lead a healthier life by consuming products of the Respondent No. 5 including products for lifestyle ailments through the use age old literature and materials supplementing and backed by ayurvedic research.
The affidavit was filed by Patanjali in the Indian Medical Association (IMA) plea that Patanjali and its founder Baba Ramdev were mounting a smear campaign by speaking against COVID-19 vaccination drive and on modern medicine.
In its affidavit, Patanjali claimed that it has the highest regard for rule of law and is duty-bound to follow the same.
The affidavit, however, stated that their media wing was not aware of court proceedings on such ads. The affidavit mentions how the deponent regrets that the advertisement in question which was meant to contain only general statements inadvertently included the offending sentences.
The same was bona-fide and added in routine course by the media department.
Patanjali stated that their only quest is for a better and healthier life for each and every citizen and to reduce the burden on the countries healthcare infrastructure by providing holistic, evidence based solutions for lifestyle related medical complications through the usage of age old traditional approach of ayurveda and yoga.