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Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 22, 2025

 

--Hamdard moves HC against Patanjali Foods' disparaging advt on 'sharbat' 

--HC on Hamdard plea: Patanjali Foods' advt has shocked 'conscience of court' 

--HC to hear Hamdard's plea against Patanjali Foods at 1200 IST 

 

NEW DELHI – Hamdard National Foundation India on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court against Patanjali Foods Ltd.'s alleged "disparaging" advertisement on Rooh Afza 'sharbat'. Hearing permanent injunction plea by Hamdard, Justice Amit Bansal observed that Patanjali Foods' advertisement has "shocked the conscience of the court" and it was "indefensible". The high court will hear Hamdard's case against Patanjali Foods at 1200 IST.

 

In a video uploaded by Patanjali Products, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.'s co-founder Baba Ramdev has promoted Patanjali sharbat and juices and said that a company selling sharbat was using its earnings to build mosques and madrasas. Ramdev said that to quench their thirst during summers, people drink cold beverages that are basically toilet cleaners. "On one side, there's the attack of toilet-cleaner-like poison, and on the other, there's a company selling sharbat, which uses the money earned from it to build mosques and madrasas. That's fine, it's their religion," said Ramdev.

 

On the other hand, if you drink Patanjali's rose sharbat, it supports the setting up of Gurukuls, Acharyakulam, Patanjali University, and the Bharatiya Shiksha Board, said Ramdev. "That's why I say, just like there is love jihad and vote jihad, there is also sharbat jihad. So, you must protect yourself from this sharbat jihad," said Ramdev.

 

Appearing for Hamdard, advocate Mukul Rohatgi said the case was "shocking" and beyond disparagement. Rohatgi argued this was a case of creating communal divide, akin to hate speech and sought immediate take down of the advertisement by Patanjali Foods.

 

At 1145 IST, shares of Patanjali Foods were up 0.2% at INR 1,976.60 on the National Stock Exchange.  End

 

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Vandana Hingorani 

 

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