Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna tender unconditional apology in Supreme Court over misleading ads

The apology comes after the Supreme Court had previously reprimanded Ramdev and Balkrishna for filing an incomplete apology, describing it as "mere lip service." The apex court is set to resume the hearing on the matter tomorrow, with both parties required to be present.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and the managing director of Patanjali Ayurved, Acharya Balkrishna, on Tuesday (April 9) submitted an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court after facing repeated criticism from the judiciary for not adhering to their commitments in the misleading advertisements case.

The apology comes after the Supreme Court had previously reprimanded Ramdev and Balkrishna for filing an incomplete apology, describing it as "mere lip service." The apex court is set to resume the hearing on the matter tomorrow, with both parties required to be present.

In November last year, Patanjali Ayurved had assured the Supreme Court that it would not violate any laws, particularly those concerning advertising or product branding. The company pledged to refrain from making any statements claiming medicinal efficacy or criticising any system of medicine in the media.

However, in their affidavit, Ramdev and Balkrishna expressed regret for their actions, acknowledging the breach of their earlier commitments. They assured the court that such violations would not occur in the future and sought pardon for the lapse.

"I hereby tender my unconditional apology... I sincerely regret this lapse and wish to assure the Hon'ble court that the same will not be repeated," the affidavit said. Additionally, they undertook to comply with the court's directives and promised to uphold the law and justice in the future.

During the April 2 hearing, the Supreme Court had dismissed Patanjali Ayurved's defense and criticised the inadequate apology from Ramdev and Balkrishna, emphasizing the need for genuine remorse and adherence to court orders.