Patanjali Ayurved Limited published a public apology again on Wednesday, this time a larger one which covers a quarter of a newspaper page. This comes a day after the Supreme Court questioned yoga guru Ramdev and his aide Balkrishna on whether the apology was of the same size as its advertisements.
The fresh apology, titled "Unconditional Public Apology" read: "In wake of the ongoing matter before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India (Writ Petition C. No. 645/2022), we in our individual capacity as well as on behalf of the Company, unconditionally apologise for the non-compliance or disobedience of directions/ orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India."
"We unconditionally extend our apology for holding a meeting/press conference dated 22.11.2023. We earnestly apologize for the mistake made in publishing our advertisements and it is our whole-hearted commitment that such errors will not be repeated. We undertake to abide by the directions and instructions of the Hon'ble Court with due care and utmost sincerity. We undertake to uphold the majesty of the court and comply with applicable laws and directions of the Hon'ble Court of law/relevant authorities. Sincerely, Patanjali Ayurved Limited, Acharya Balkrishna, Swami Ramdev, Haridwar, Uttarakhand," the note added.
Interestingly, the apology published before was smaller, without any mention of the names of Ramdev and Balkrishna.
The Supreme Court, while considering the petition filed by the IMA against Patanjali alleging a smear campaign against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine, had questioned Ramdev and Balkrishna about how prominently they have published their unqualified apology in newspapers.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the duo, told the bench they have issued on Monday an unqualified apology for the "lapses" on their part in 67 newspapers across the country.
To this, the court questioned whether the apology was of the same size as advertisements that the firm normally issued. The court said it wanted to see the actual apology published in newspapers. "The said advertisements are not on record. It is submitted that the same has been collated and shall be filed in the course of the day with copies to counsel for the parties. Needful shall be done within two days with copies to counsel for the parties," the bench said.
