'Willing to apologise in public': Baba Ramdev, Acharya Balkrishna to SC on misleading ads

Yoga guru Ramdev and his aide Balkrishna told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that they were willing to offer a public apology in connection with Patanjali Ayurved's misleading ads and Covid cure claims. 

"I have no intention to show disrespect to court in any manner," Ramdev told the apex court during the hearing. 

In his defence, Ramdev said his firm had brought Ayurveda to the level of science-based medicine.  

To which Justice Hima Kohli, hearing the case, replied: "How can you say that a particular disease can be cured only through ayurved? How can you disparage other systems of medicine right after an undertaking was issued that no such statements will be made to the public". 

Ramdev said they did not have such intentions, adding that his firm had researched more than 5,000 processes. The court chided the Yoga Guru over his 'attitude', saying that summons were issued because 'you have disobeyed our order".

The top court, however, acknowledged the work done by Ramdev's firm for Yoga. "You have done a lot for yoga and started a lot of good things for its promotion. You also started this business."

The court had rapped the Patanjali founders and also pulled up the Uttarakhand government for not acting against the Haridwar-based company. The court has directed both Ramdev and Balkrishna to be present on the next date of hearing on April 23.