- Written by Sherylan Moran
- BBC News, Delhi
image source, Getty Images
Popular Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev has millions of followers around the world. His image has now been tarnished after India’s Supreme Court ordered him to apologize for falsely claiming that his company’s products could “cure” serious illnesses. So how did this man and his story unravel?
In a video on his YouTube channel Swami Ramdev, which has over 10 million subscribers, the yoga guru lies on his back on stage, curls his knees up to his chest and performs the “Pawanmuktasan” (a technique used to relieve flatulence). The person is doing a yoga pose.
Next to him is a pile of medicines manufactured by Patanjali Ayurveda, which claims to sell “herbal mineral preparations.”
Founded in 2006 by Baba Ramdev and his close aide Acharya Balkrishna, Patanjali sells everything from toothpaste to skin care and wellness products. However, Ayurvedic medicines are among the most popular products.
He enumerated a range of health problems, from fever and typhoid fever to liver damage and skin diseases, and chided the audience against using “toxic synthetic” drugs to treat such illnesses. He recommends using Patanjali products instead.
In another video, he explains what cancer is and argues that chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery do not address the cause of the disease.
And it makes the astonishing claim that Patanjali’s anti-cancer juice, combined with a strict diet, can cure all types of cancer in seven days to two months.
His audience erupted into applause.
But India’s Supreme Court last week blocked the ad, saying the yoga guru was spreading false information and misleading consumers.
image source, Getty Images
According to the Drugs and Magical Cures (Offensive Advertising) Act 1954, it is illegal to advertise medicines intended to treat or cure 54 medical conditions, including cancer, heart disease and blood pressure.
The judges refused to accept the “unconditional apologies” of Baba Ramdev and Balkrishna, claiming they had “deliberately disobeyed” the order.“Your apology is not worth the paper it is written on,” the court said, adding, “You are [should] suffer the consequences. ”
The judges also ruled that the State Licensing Authority, the watchdog for Ayurvedic medicines and other traditional medical practices, and the Uttarakhand government (the Himalayan state where Patanjali is headquartered) for failing to take action against Patanjali for violating the law. ) was criticized.
“We will tear you apart,” they said, accusing authorities of remaining in a “deep slumber” and “shifting blame.”
The court ordered Patanjali and its founder to issue a public apology before the next hearing on April 23.
But experts say the court’s rebuke is too little, too late.
They point out that Patanjali and Baba Ramdev have a long history of defending the healing powers of their products while dismissing allopathic medicines and legitimate medical practices as ineffective. The BBC has contacted Patanjali for a response to the allegations.
Sales of the drug had to be halted after the intervention of the Indian government, which said there was no data to show it was effective as a treatment. However, the company continued to claim that it was effective against the virus.
It’s not just their drugs. Patanjali’s edible products have also been criticized for being substandard.
In fact, Patanjali has faced so many controversies over the past decade that it’s hard to keep track of them all, as a quick Google search will tell you.
image source, Getty Images
The latest lawsuit against the company comes after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) filed suit in 2022 over “false” advertisements claiming that the company’s products can treat thyroid, diabetes and even macular degeneration. Began.
Last year, a court ordered it to stop making such claims and threatened to impose fines of 10 million rupees ($119,600, £96,000) for each product.
He accused some doctors of being biased against traditional medicine and claimed they were spreading false propaganda about their brands.
Patanjali continued to air controversial advertisements in newspapers, radio, television, and at Baba Ramdev’s yoga workshops in various states.
The case came back into focus in January when the Supreme Court received an anonymous letter stating that the company had refused to comply with the court’s order.
Experts say Patanjali’s products are suspect because of the company’s poor manufacturing practices.
However, the brand has vigorously defended its products, claiming they are clinically proven and follow “over 3,000 research protocols.”
In 2016, a court in Haridwar ordered Patanjali to pay a fine of Rs 1 million for selling certain products under its own label even though they were manufactured by other companies.
The court will also take action against the brand if it fails to improve the quality of its products after some essential items such as salt, jam, oil and honey failed quality tests. instructed local authorities to do so.
However, despite serious allegations, the company has avoided regulatory action.
The 58-year-old is also believed to have close ties to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government.
The yoga guru is a regular admirer of Mr Modi and openly urged his supporters to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the 2014 general election.
A 2017 investigation by Reuters found that Baba Ramdev’s business has boomed since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power, and that Patanjali has moved into the country under Bharatiya Janata Party rule to set up factories and research centers. It turns out that thousands of acres of land could be acquired at a discount in the states.
The BBC has contacted the Bharatiya Janata Party and Patanjali but has not yet received a response.
