The Delhi high court on Wednesday has refrained Yoga guru Ramdev from “misleading the public” with his claims over Covid-19 vaccines and allopathic medicines while speaking in favour of Patanjali product Coronil. He has been asked not to make any unsubstantiated claims.
“You are welcome to have your followers and disciples and people who believe you but don’t mislead the public by saying more than what is official… My concern is to save the good name and reputation of Ayurveda. My aim [also] is nobody should be misled against allopathy,” Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani remarked.
Various doctors’ associations have filed a lawsuit accusing Ramdev of misleading the public by questioning the efficacy of interventions such as Covid vaccinations. The court made the observation while hearing the suit.
Appearing for the plaintiffs, senior advocate Akhil Sibal, referred to various statements made by Ramdev where he claimed Coronil to be a cure for Covid-19, and a video where he purportedly “bashed vaccines”.
Sibal further asserted that the licence granted to Coronil “does not mention Covid-19 at all” and only speaks about it being an immunity booster.
It also questioned Ramdev’s recent statement that US President Joe Biden tested positive despite being vaccinated and called it a “failure” of medical science.
“One is, I am concerned about the good name of Ayurveda being destroyed. I am concerned about it… The second is, here people are being named. It can have international consequences for our relations, country’s relations with foreign countries…,” Justice Bhambhani said. “It’s one thing to say that I choose not to take the vaccine but it’s quite another thing to say ‘forget the vaccine, it’s useless but take this,” the judge remarked.
Ramdev’s counsel, however, refused to make any commitment. On its submission that the case was being made about the Congress vs the Bharatiya Janata Party, the court said, “There is no room for politics in the courtroom”.
The court has posted the matter for further hearing on August 23.
