Ramdev calls out modern doctors of “real false propaganda”, challenges SC 1 cr penalty

| Updated: 22 November, 2023 8:19 pm IST

Patanjali's Baba Ramdev criticised modern medical practitioners for practising "false propaganda".

On Wednesday, Yoga guru and primary proprietor of Ayurveda juggernaut, Patanjali, Baba Ramdev called modern medical practitioners the ones doing “real false propaganda” following the Supreme Court’s notice directing him to pay Rs 1 crore per each “misleading claim”.

“A few doctors have formed a gang to spread false propaganda against Yoga and the benefits of Ayurveda. They say that certain diseases cannot be cured in the synthetic world (of medicine) but I can provide you with real world evidence with how Ayurveda and naturopathy has cured these diseases such as diabetes, typhoid and others,” said Ramdev at a press conference.

He added that he respects the apex court’s decision to reprimand his organisation but he highlighted that the court should also check with these particular doctors to identify the ones spreading “real propaganda”.

“For the past five years, propaganda has been going on targeting Ramdev and Patanjali,” said the yoga guru, while refuting the charges made against him in the plea submitted by the Indian Medical Association.

“We respect SC. But we are not doing any false propaganda. If we are liars, then fine us Rs 1,000 crore, and we are also ready for the death penalty. But if we are not liars, then punish the ones who are really spreading the false propaganda,” he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court, led by a bench comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra, had delivered a strong caution to the company co-established by Ramdev, while considering a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association.

The SC decided to levy “hefty penalties” on the yoga guru’s company if such an incident takes place again, while informing the Centre to come up with appropriate provisions necessary to tackle misleading advertisements.

“All such false and misleading advertisements of Patanjali Ayurved have to stop immediately. The Court will take any such infraction very seriously, and the Court will also consider imposing costs to the extent of Rs. 1 crores on every product regarding which a false claim is made that it can “cure” a particular disease,” Justice Amanullah orally said, as reported by Live Law.