Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved Ltd on Tuesday informed the Supreme Court that it has stopped the sale of the 14 products whose manufacturing licences were suspended by the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority in April.
Patanjali Ayurved Ltd told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta that it has issued instructions to 5,606 franchise stores to withdraw these products.
It said media platforms have also been instructed to withdraw advertisements of these 14 products in any form.
Patanjali was directed to file an affidavit within two weeks stating whether the request made to social media intermediaries for the removal of advertisements has been acceded to and whether advertisements of these 14 products have been withdrawn.
The bench posted the matter for further hearing on July 30.
What is the Patanjali-IMA case?
The Supreme Court is currently hearing a plea filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.
The Supreme Court had said that Patanjali should not be allowed to sell products for which licences were suspended. “If licence is suspended, the product should not be sold. We have to give a notice (otherwise)! The moment it is suspended, from that day they cannot do. The same should be on hold. Take it off,” Justice Amanullah had said.
The Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority had earlier told the apex court that manufacturing licences of 14 products of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Divya Pharmacy have been “suspended with immediate effect”.
The apex court had on May 14 reserved its order on the contempt notice issued to yoga guru Ramdev, his aide Balkrishna and Patanjali Ayurved Ltd in the misleading advertisements case.
“We want to point out to you, that your misleading ads about your products that have now been prohibited…are still available on various channels on the internet – what are you doing to bring them down?” Supreme Court had asked.