The Supreme Court declined to accept an unconditional apology from yoga guru Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved’s managing director, Acharya Balkrishna, who faced contempt charges for violating a court undertaking. The court expressed skepticism about their apology, stating that it seemed prompted by being “caught on the wrong foot” rather than genuine remorse.
The bench emphasized the importance of honouring commitments made to the court, highlighting the need for a broader message to the public about respecting court directives. It also criticized the Uttarakhand state licensing authority for its inaction on complaints against Patanjali.
The contempt charges stem from Patanjali’s violation of court orders prohibiting misleading advertisements on health cures. Despite giving an undertaking to cease such advertisements, the company continued with disparaging statements against modern medicine. The court, displeased with the apologies presented, scheduled further consideration of the matter for April 16.
