Yoga guru Ramdev on Wednesday said that a conspiracy has been hatched to tarnish the image of Patanjali Ayurved, a day after the Supreme Court cautioned the company against making "false" and "misleading" claims in ads about its medicines as cure for several diseases. In a press meet on Wednesday, Ramdev said, "We will fight the case in the Supreme Court and present our side of the story." Acharya Balkrishna, who heads Patanjali Ayurved, was also present in the media briefing.
Ramdev said, "Since yesterday, on different media sites, one news story has gone viral that the Supreme Court reprimanded Patanjali. The SC said that if you do false propaganda, then you will be fined... We respect SC. But we are not doing any false propaganda. A few doctors have formed a group that continuously does propaganda against yoga, Ayurveda, etc... If we are liars, then fine us Rs 1,000 crore, and we are also ready for the death penalty. But if we are not liars, then punish the ones who are really spreading the false propaganda. For the past 5 years, propaganda has been going on targeting Ramdev and Patanjali..."
Balkrishna also denied the charges that Patanjali has been throwing shade at modern medical science and doctors, and instead raised a call to stop what he called "propaganda" by allopathic medicine practitioners against the use of Ayurvedic medicines.
Ramdev, while refuting the allegations, said, "Money cannot decide truth and lie. They (allopathy) may have more hospitals, doctors and their voice may be heard more, but we have the inheritance of the wisdom of sages, we are not poor."
The top court on Tuesday said all such false and misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately. The court will take any such infraction very seriously...," a bench comprising justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra orally observed while hearing a plea of the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
The SC, on August 23 last year had issued notices to the Union health ministry and Ministry of Ayush and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, on the plea of the IMA alleging a smear campaign by Ramdev against the vaccination drive and modern medicines.
During the brief hearing, the bench asked Patanjali Ayurved not to publish misleading claims and advertisements against modern systems of medicine. It said the bench may also consider imposing a fine of Rs 1 crore on every product if a false claim is made that it can cure a particular ailment. The Suprme Cpurt also asked the counsel appearing for the Centre to find a remedy to the issue of misleading medical advertisements where claims are being made about medicines that offer perfect cure of certain diseases.
The SC bench will now take up the plea of IMA for hearing on February 5, next year.