Yoga guru Ramdev and Balkrishna, co-founders of Patanjali Ayurved Limited, have issued a fresh public apology in newspapers on April 24th, following a contempt case hearing at the Supreme Court. The court had questioned the size and visibility of the previous apology issued by the company for misleading advertisements. In light of the ongoing matter before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, we, both individually and on behalf of the company, sincerely apologize for the non-compliance or disobedience of the court’s directions and orders.
This new “unconditional public apology” by Patanjali is presented with larger and more prominent fonts. We extend our unconditional apology for the meeting/press conference held on November 22nd, 2023. We deeply regret the mistake made in publishing our advertisements, and we assure you that such errors will not be repeated. We commit ourselves to follow the court’s directions and instructions with utmost care and sincerity. Furthermore, we pledge to uphold the dignity of the court and comply with all relevant laws and directives from the Hon’ble Court of law and other relevant authorities.
Ramdev and Balkrishna had previously offered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” to the Supreme Court regarding the advertisements released by Patanjali, which made exaggerated claims about the effectiveness of their products.
During the court hearing on Tuesday, Ramdev and Balkrishna were questioned about the visibility of their apology in newspapers. The bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah asked if the apology was published in the same size as their regular advertisements.
Representing Ramdev and Balkrishna, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi informed the bench that the unqualified apology had been issued on Monday to address their mistakes.
The bench inquired about the publication of the apology, to which Rohatgi replied that it had been published in 67 newspapers nationwide.
Further, the bench asked the advocate if the apology was published prominently and requested that a copy of the published apology be submitted as evidence. They expressed their desire to see the actual apology as it appeared in the newspapers.
“The advertisements in question are not currently on record. However, it is stated that they have been collected and will be filed today, with copies provided to the counsels of all parties involved. The necessary action will be taken within two days, with copies provided to the counsels of all parties,” stated the bench.
The bench also mentioned that the matter concerning the apology published by Ramdev and Balkrishna would be considered on April 30.