Patanjali promised cures in its ads — the Supreme Court rejected its apology

Patanjali Ayurved, the Indian consumer goods company founded by yoga guru Baba Ramdev, ran advertisements claiming cures for diseases and criticising allopathic medicine. The Indian Medical Association sued. On 21 November 2023, Ramdev and managing director Acharya Balkrishna gave an undertaking to the Supreme Court that they would not issue 'casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine'.

The next day, Ramdev held a press conference in Haridwar. On 4 December, Patanjali published another advertisement. The Supreme Court treated both as violations of the undertaking. When Ramdev and Balkrishna sought exemption from personal appearance citing foreign travel, the court noted their flight tickets had been issued the day after their affidavits were sworn — and said they were 'trying to wriggle out' of appearing.

On 10 April 2024, the court refused to accept their 'unconditional' apology affidavits. Justice Hima Kohli called the conduct a 'wilful and deliberate violation', adding: 'don't think your writing unconditional multiple times in the affidavit is enough to satisfy this court.' The court also pulled up the state of Uttarakhand for failing to act against Patanjali's advertising.