New Delhi: The Uttarakhand authorities did not take any action against Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved in the last two years for publishing misleading claims and advertisements of Ayush products and repeatedly violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954.
According to a report published in The New Indian Express, only letters and notices were served to Patanjali Ayurved by the Uttarakhand authorities for the misleading advertisements.
Meanwhile, only after the Supreme Court on February 27 issued a contempt notice to Ramdev’s company and its managing director Acharya Balakrishna, a warning was issued, as per an affidavit filed on March 19 to the Supreme Court by the Union Ayush Ministry.
As per the report, the affidavit highlights that no action was taken despite several Supreme Court orders, RTIs, and even directives from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
In its affidavit, the ministry attached a March 12 letter on the action taken report concerning the misleading advertisement of products manufactured by Divya Pharmacy. This letter in question was written by the Ayurveda and Unani Services, Licensing Authority, Uttarakhand after information was sought by the ministry.
“Before receiving directions from the Ministry of Ayush, various letters were issued to the relevant drugs inspectors/district Ayurvedic and Unani officers in Hardiwar to take action against the violation of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954 by the company,” the letter mentioned.
Further, the ministry said that notices were issued regarding the non-compliance of Rule 170 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Notably, Rule 170 deals with controlling inappropriate advertisements.
However, Patanjali Ayurved told the authorities that no action could be taken against them due to “the sub-judice nature related to Rule 170, which prevents them from being penalised,” the report mentioned.
RTI activist Dr. K.V. Babu, who has been relentlessly pursuing the matter and has filed several RTIs with the centre as well as the state for action against Ramdev’s Patanjali said that he had earlier flagged to the Ayush ministry and Uttarakhand authorities that “Rule 170 is being wrongly interpreted and action can be taken against Patanjali under the Magic Remedies Act since complaints were under this Act only”.
In a landmark ruling on February 27, the Supreme Court banned Patanjali from running medical advertisements temporarily and said that the entire country has been “taken for a ride”. The apex court also rapped the Union government for “sitting with its eyes shut” and not taking any action on the advertisements.
