Yoga guru Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it had stopped the sale of 14 products whose manufacturing licences were suspended by the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for Ayurvedic and Unani Services in April, reported PTI.

On April 29, the Uttarakhand government body told the top court that the licences were suspended as Patanjali Ayurved had repeatedly violated the 1945 Drugs and Cosmetic Rules.

The 14 drugs that were banned are: Swasari Gold, Swasari Vati, Bronchom, Swasari Pravahi, Swasari Avaleh, Mukta Vati Extra Power, Lipidom, Bp Grit, Madhugrit, Madhunashini Vati Extra Power, Livamrit Advance, Livogrit, Eyegrit Gold and Patanjali Drishti Eye Drop.

On Tuesday, Patanjali Ayurved told a bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta that it had instructed 5,606 franchise stores to withdraw these products.

Media platforms have also been instructed to withdraw advertisements for the 14 products, said the company.

The court asked Patanjali Ayurved to file an affidavit within two weeks, stating if social media intermediaries had withdrawn advertisements for the products.

The matter was listed for hearing next on July 30.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by the Indian Medical Association against Patanjali Ayurved accusing the company of carrying out a “smear campaign” against modern medicine and the Covid-19 vaccination drive.

At a hearing on April 10, the court had ordered the current and previous officers of the Uttarakhand licensing authority to file detailed affidavits explaining why they did not take action against Patanjali under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Objectionable Advertisements Act for misleading advertisements.

The court had also reprimanded Ramdev and the company’s Managing Director Balkrishna for an advertisement issued by their company on December 4 after it had said in an undertaking on November 21 that it would not make any “casual statements claiming medicinal efficacy or against any system of medicine”.

On March 20, Balkrishna tendered an “unqualified apology” and said that he had the highest regard for the rule of law, adding that Patanjali Ayurved would ensure it did not issue any such advertisements in the future. The court, however, refused to accept the apology and described it as mere lip service.

The Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority on April 29 informed the court that it had filed a criminal complaint against Patanjali Ayurved, Ramdev and Balkrishna for violating the Drugs and Magic Remedies Objectionable Advertisements Act, Bar and Bench reported.

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