During the last hearing, the Supreme Court asked Indian Medical Association (IMA) president R V Asokan whether his unconditional apology to the apex court over his “damaging” statements in an interview to PTI was published in all those newspapers which carried his interview. In the interview to PTI, where he had answered queries about Patanjali Ayurved Ltd‘s misleading advertisements case, Asokan had said it was “unfortunate” that the Supreme Court criticised the association and also some of the practices of private doctors.
The court also observed that the apology needs to be published in the newspapers by Asokan personally and not from the funds of the IMA.
The top court is hearing a plea filed in 2022 by the IMA alleging a smear campaign by Patanjali against the Covid vaccination drive and modern systems of medicine.
Previously, the Supreme Court asked the Ministry of Ayush should set up a dashboard so that details about complaints filed on misleading advertisements and progress made on them can be made available to the consumers. The apex court had earlier highlighted the aspect of misleading advertisements being published or displayed in media contrary to the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and the rules, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Consumer Protection Act, 1986.
(more to come)
