Patanjali stops sale of 14 products, including Drishti eye drops: Details

Patanjali told the Supreme Court that it has issued instructions to 5,606 franchise stores to withdraw these products.

Patanjali Ayurved Ltd informed the Supreme Court that it has stopped the sale of the 14 products whose manufacturing licences were suspended by the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority in April this year. The company told the top court that it has issued instructions to 5,606 franchise stores to withdraw these products. It also said that media platforms have also been instructed to withdraw advertisements of these 14 products.

A hoarding with an image of Baba Ramdev is seen inside a Patanjali store in Ahmedabad, India. (Reuters)

The court directed Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to file an affidavit within two weeks stating whether the request made to social media intermediaries for the removal of advertisements has been fulfilled or not. This comes as the Supreme Court has been hearing a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali against the Covid vaccination drive and modern medicine.

The Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority earlier told the Supreme Court that manufacturing licences of 14 products of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Divya Pharmacy have been "suspended with immediate effect".

On May 14, the court eserved its order on the contempt notice issued to Ramdev, his aide Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd in the misleading advertisements case.