The Uttarakhand State Drug Licensing Authority has filed a case in a Haridwar court against Baba Ramdev-owned Patanjali Ayurved and Divya Pharmacy, which markets its products, for placing misleading advertisements in the media showing scant regard for official warnings.
This follows a complaint lodged by Kannur-based RTI activist and ophthalmologist K.V. Babu with the Prime Minister’s office in January, which was redirected to the Uttarakhand authority. Dr. Babu had pointed out that Patanjali Ayurved was found to have placed misleading advertisements in December 2023 despite promising the Supreme Court in November 2023 that it would not violate any law, especially those related to advertising or branding of its products.
According to the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, “no person shall take any part in the publication of any advertisement referring to any drug in terms which suggest or are calculated to lead to the use of that drug for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of any disease, disorder or condition specified in the Schedule, or any other disease, disorder or condition [by whatsoever name called] which may be specified in the rules made under the Act.”
