Misleading ads: SC declines Ramdev, Patanjali apologies

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to accept the affidavits of yoga guru Ramdev and his close aide Balkrishna of Patanjali Ayurved tendering unconditional apologies for publishing “misleading” advertisements, asserting the court doesn’t want to be “so generous” as they were issued after the duo was caught with their “back against the wall”.

The apex court also came down hard on the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for its inaction on the issue and said it is not going to take it lightly as the authority appeared to have kept its “eyes shut deliberately”.

“We will rip you apart,” a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah told the counsel representing the authority in an unusually stern reprimand.

The top court observed that after the notices to show cause were issued to Ramdev and Balkrishna, they “attempted to wriggle out” of their personal appearance before the court which is “most unacceptable”.

“Having regard to the entire history of the matter and the past conduct of the contemnors…, we have expressed our reservations about accepting the latest affidavit filed by them,” the bench said while dictating the order in the courtroom. The court fixed the matter for resumed hearing on April 16.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Ramdev and Balkrishna, referred to the affidavits filed by them tendering unconditional and unqualified apology.

“The apologies that are on record are on paper. We think that having been caught on the wrong foot and noticing that their back is actually against the wall and having gone to town saying all kind of things on the very next day of the order passed where your counsel had given undertaking, we don’t accept this affidavit,” the bench said.

“We decline to accept or condone it. We consider it a wilful and deliberate violation of the order and the breach of the undertaking… We decline to accept this affidavit,” it said.