'You Can't Insult Allopathy' : Supreme Court To Baba Ramdev & Patanjali MD Acharya Balkrishna [Read Full Courtroom Exchange]

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (April 16) interacted with Patanjali Ayurved's Managing Director (MD) Acharya Balakrishna and its co-founder Baba Ramdev in the contempt proceedings initiated against them over the publication of misleading medical advertisements despite undertaking given to the Court in November last year. The bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah questioned them about the press conferences and advertisements published after the undertaking. Notably, when Baba Ramdev apologised, the Bench clarified that the Court had not accepted the apology yet. It also stressed that the previous history cannot be unseen. I hope you are clear, Justice Kohli firmly said. “Hum iske bare mein sochengey. Humne yeh nahi kaha ki hum aapko mafi dengey. Ye hum abhi bhi clear kar rahe hain. Hum iske barey mein sochengey, Kyuki apki jo previous history hai unko hum undekha nahi kar saktein hai. (Translation: We will think about it (the apology). We are making it clear. We will think about it because we cannot unsee your previous history.) ” In the affidavit submitted by Patanjali's MD, it was stated that the impugned advertisements were meant to contain only general statements but inadvertently included offending sentences. It was outlined that the advertisements were bona-fide and that Patanjali's media personnel was not “cognizant” of the November order (where undertaking was given before the top Court). On that, Justice Kohli unambiguously said that this innocence of the Court's order could not be pleaded, especially when the Company is worth crores, and there is a legal department established within it. She also pointed out that now since both the parties are personally present before the Court and they are aware about the Court's proceedings, the same plea cannot be taken in future.Justice Kohli tod Ramdev : “Aap k vakeel sahab ne jo kaha aapne suna. Aap Court mein they…apko pata ho ki Court mein kya proceedings ho rahi hai. Kal ko aap ye na keh paye ki aapke vakeelo ne kuch kaha jiska aapko gyat nai tha. Jo plea aapne li humare samne ki haan Court ne order toh diya November mein, humare vakeel ne undertaking toh di but hume toh gyat hi nai hai. Toh itni innocence Court mein chalti nai. Khas kar mein jab Company itni crore ki ho or legal department hai but hume pata hi nai ki…aap publicity department ko bata detein ki ye advertisement nai nikltein. (Translation: You heard whatever your advocate said. You were in the Court...You must be aware of the Court's proceedings. Tomorrow, you cannot say that your lawyers said something that you were unaware of. The plea that you took before us that you were not aware of the undertaking given by your lawyers before the Court, in November, this much innocence cannot be pleaded before the Court...You could have informed the publicity department so they would not have published the advertisements.”During the interaction, the Court also rebuked the duo for insulting allopathy. The Court asked them to do their work without pointing fingers at others. Last week, on April 10, the Court declined to accept the apology affidavit submitted by Baba Ramdev, the co-founder of Patanjali, as well as the one filed by Patanjali Ayurved and its Managing Director, Acharya Balkrishna, for the second instance before the Court. At today's hearing, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Patanjali, told the Court that both the parties are "ready to give a public apology to show contrition." After hearing him, the Bench asked the counsel to bring Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna forward before the Court. Interaction Between Proposed Contemnors And The Court At the commencement of the interaction, Justice Kohli said this to Baba Ramdev: Hum samahjna chatein hai Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna, aap dono yaha hai. Apki bahut garima hai. Aap uss padh pe hai jaha pe log aapko dekhtein hai, aapke kaam ki bahut tareef kartein hai. Apne yoga ke liye bahut kuch kiya hai. Iske alawa aapne ye business bhi chalu kiya hai, ye karubar hai. Vo aap bhi jaantein hai , hum bhi jaantein hai. (Translation: We want to understand, Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balakrishna, both of you are present. You have a lot of dignity. Given the position you are in, people look upto you. People appreciate your work. You have done a lot for yoga. Apart from this, you have started a business. This you also know and we also know) Adding to this, she posed: Humne dekha hai aap ne yoga ki liye kya kiya hai. But kya vo sufficient hai jo aapne kiya hai, Court k adesh k bawajood? Uske liye hum mafi de? (Translation: We have seen what you have done for Yoga. But is it sufficient for what you have done despite the Court's orders? Should we accept your apology?) In response to this, Baba Ramdev pleaded: Mai itna kahna chaunga ki jo bhi hum se bhul hui, uske liye humne unconditional and unqualified apology bhi humne accept kiya hai. (...

'You Can't Insult Allopathy' : Supreme Court To Baba Ramdev & Patanjali MD Acharya Balkrishna [Read Full Courtroom Exchange]

Gyanvi Khanna

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