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Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 22, 2025

 

--Patanjali Foods to HC on Hamdard plea: Will take down advt on 'sharbat' 

--CONTEXT: HC hearing Hamdard plea against Patanjali Foods' disparaging advt 

--HC to Patanjali's Ramdev: In future, do not make statements like in advt 

 

NEW DELHI – After the Delhi High Court observed that Patanjali Foods Ltd.'s advertisement on Rooh Afza 'sharbat' had "shocked the conscience of the court" and it was "indefensible", the company said it would immediately take down the "disparaging advertisement". Hearing a plea filed by Hamdard National Foundation India, the high court asked Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.'s Co-founder Ramdev to file an affidavit stating that he shall not issue any statements, advertisements and social media posts in the future similar to the "disparaging advertisement". The court will next hear the case on May 1.

 

In a promotional video uploaded by Patanjali Products for its sharbat and juices, Ramdev was heard saying that a certain company that sold sharbat was using its earnings to build mosques and madrasas. He further said that in 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," he said in the video.

 

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 Patanjali Foods creating a communal divide, akin to hate speeches, and sought immediate taking down of the advertisement.  

 

At 1324 IST, shares of Patanjali Foods were down 0.33% at INR 1,966.80 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 Tanima Banerjee

 

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