Patanjali MD Acharya Balkrishna apologizes before Supreme Court

New Delhi: Acharya Balkrishna, the Managing Director of Patanjali Ayurved Limited, extended an unconditional apology on Thursday amid controversy over the company's advertisements.

The apology was submitted following the Supreme Court's summons for him and Baba Ramdev to appear in person before the apex court on April 2.

“The deponent regrets that the advertisement in question, which was meant to contain only general statements, inadvertently included the offending sentences...The deponent on behalf of the respondent (Patanjali Ayurved) submits an unqualified apology before this Court for the breach of the statement recorded in the order of November 21, 2023. The deponent will ensure such advertisements are not issued in future”, the affidavit stated as per Outlook India reports.

However, in his affidavit, he also stated that the company has evidence-based scientific data from clinical research conducted in Ayurveda, which would demonstrate the advances made through scientific research concerning diseases listed in the Schedule to the 1954 Act.

The Supreme Court order on Patanjali Ayurved’s misleading advertisement came after a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), seeking to prevent Patanjali from making inaccurate and deceptive statements about curing illnesses and challenging the effectiveness of modern medicine.