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Patanjali ads case: Supreme Court calls out IMA over 'unethical conduct', says put 'house in order'
Patanjali advertisements case: The court has asked licensing authorities of all states and union territories to be impleaded as parties in the case.
Hearing the misleading advertisements case against Patanjali Ayurved, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, the Supreme Court of India on Tuesday called out the petitioner, Indian Medical Association (IMA), over its doctors allegedly endorsing “expensive and unnecessary” medicines in allopathy.
In sharply worded observations, the Supreme Court told the leading association of doctors in the country that "four fingers" were pointing at them as well.
"Your (IMA) doctors are also endorsing medicines in the allopathic field. If that's happening, why should we not turn the beam at you (IMA)?" the Supreme Court asked IMA.
The Supreme court asked IMA to put its house in order regarding alleged "unethical acts" regarding “expensive and unnecessary” medicines being prescribed to patients.
"There are several complaints with regard to alleged unethical conduct of IMA," the court said, reported ANI.
The Supreme Court also observed that FMCG companies were taking the public for a ride by publishing advertisements of products that affect the health of babies, school-going children and senior citizens.
The court has asked licensing authorities of all states and union territories to be impleaded as parties in the case.
Also read: After Supreme Court rap, Patanjali offers a public apology
The Supreme Court has directed central ministries to file affidavits regarding actions taken by them on misleading advertisements over the past three years.
"Now we are looking at everything...We are looking at children, babies, women and no one can be taken for a ride," the court added.
The Union government must wake up to this, it said.
What is the case against Patanjali?
The Indian Medical Association has moved the court against Patanjali Ayurved for publishing advertisements claiming cures for diseases and running a smear campaign against modern medicine.
Last year, after Supreme Court's rap, Patanjali had furnished an undertaking that they would desist from publishing misleading advertisements. However, earlier this year, the court found them in violation of their undertaking.
Also read: Don’t denigrate other medical systems, SC to Ramdev, says he is not ‘ignorant’
The court later initiated contempt proceedings against Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna.
On April 16, the apex court warned Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna against any attempt to "degrade allopathy" and permitted them to tender a "public apology and show contrition" within a week in the contempt proceedings in the misleading advertisements case against Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. It had, however, observed that the two were not off the hook.
Today, the company informed the court it had published their apology in over 60 newspapers.
The Supreme Court ordered Baba Ramdev and Patanjali Ayurved MD Acharya Balkrishna to place on record the apology they published in newspapers.
With inputs from ANI
