The country's supreme court has temporarily banned Patanjali, a leading maker of ayurvedic products with ties to the prime minister, from advertising certain items due to a history of false claims.Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, the brand ambassador for the billion dollar company Patanjali Ayurved, addresses the media during a launch of"premium products" in New Delhi.
The Indian Medical Association had brought the case to court in August 2022, claiming that Patanjali and its brand ambassador Baba Ramdev made a series of false claims against evidence-backed modern medicine and its practitioners, and spread misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines. Their petition also referred to instances where Ramdev lambasted modern medicine as a"stupid and bankrupt science" at a yoga session.
The supreme court's order, although temporary, is a blow to advocates of ayurvedic medicines, including the prime minister and his Hindu nationalist party. Some scientists have accused their government of promoting these alternative medicines at the expense of modern medicine, partly as a way to glorify India's culture and history.