Patanjali’s Divya Pharmacy products lose licenses in Uttarakhand amid ad controversy

The licensing authority in Uttarakhand has taken action against Patanjali’s Divya Pharmacy by suspending manufacturing licenses for 14 products. This decision was made due to the pharmacy repeatedly releasing misleading advertisements about the effectiveness of their products. The order from the regulator mentioned violations of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act and the Drugs and Cosmetic Act, highlighting the pharmacy’s misleading advertising practices as the reason for the suspension.

The products that have been banned include several items from Divya Pharmacy, such as Drishti Eye drop, Swasari Gold, Swasari Vati, Bronchom, Swasari Pravahi, Swasari Avaleh, Mukta Vati Extra Power, Lipidom, Bp Grit, Madhugrit, Madhunashini Vati Extra Power, Livamrit Advance, Livogrit, and Eyegrit Gold.

This government order represents the most recent challenge for Baba Ramdev, the yoga guru and entrepreneur, who has faced ongoing criticism from the Supreme Court for failing to adhere to its instructions in a continuous legal battle aimed at halting misleading advertisements.On April 30, the Supreme Court is scheduled to address the issue concerning the apology issued by yoga guru Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna. Both individuals are expected to appear in court on Tuesday for this matter.

In the previous hearing on April 23, the Supreme Court criticized Patanjali for not featuring their apology prominently in newspapers. The court questioned whether the size of Patanjali’s apology in newspapers was comparable to the full-page advertisements of its products. Patanjali responded by stating that it had issued the apology in 67 newspapers, emphasizing its respect for the court and assuring that similar mistakes would not happen again.

Following the court’s directive, Patanjali released a larger apology in newspapers compared to their previous one. Before this, Ramdev and Balkrishna had presented an “unconditional and unqualified apology” to the Supreme Court concerning the advertisements by their firm, which had made bold claims about the effectiveness of products like Coronil during the pandemic. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) issued a strong criticism against Baba Ramdev on Monday, condemning his assertions about curing Covid-19 and his derogatory comments about modern medicine, which he labeled as “stupid and bankrupt science.

Dr RV Ashokan , president of IMA said “He went against the national interest when the government was driving the vaccination programme. He said 20,000 doctors died after taking two doses of the Covid vaccine. And he was having such a high profile that you know people believed what he said. That was the unfortunate part of it.”

In November 2023, during the case brought forward by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Ramdev for his criticism of modern medicine, the Supreme Court instructed Patanjali to halt the advertisements of products that purported to treat specific ailments and disorders mentioned in the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.Ramdev admitted this action as a mistake and his company issued newspaper apologies to the public.Currently,the judges are deliberating whether they should press contempt charges against Ramdev.

You might also be interested – Patanjali’s new apology bigger than before after Supreme Court knock