Court issues notice to Baba Ramdev after petition claims non-vegetarian ingredient found in veg toothpaste
A hoarding with an image of Baba Ramdev is seen inside a Patanjali store in Ahmedabad
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his company, Patanjali Ayurveda, have been issued notices by the Delhi High Court after a plea was filed, alleging that the brand's herbal tooth powder, 'Divya Manjan', contains non-vegetarian ingredients, despite being marketed as vegetarian.
The petition filed by advocate Yatin Sharma stated that the toothpaste packaging featureda green dot - typically associated with vegetarian productsbut the ingredient list includedSepia officinalis (common cuttlefish).
The toothpaste is manufactured by Divya Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Patanjali and is prominently marketed and sold in both offline and online stores.
The petitioner also claimed that Ramdev in one of his YouTube videos stated that"Samudra fen," used in the product, is animal-based, despite the product being marketed as vegetarian.
The petitioner claimed that the unintentional consumption of a non-vegetarian product had caused him distress and demanded redressal of the issue while highlighting the importance of transparency and adherence to religious beliefs.
"The gravity and effectiveness of the court's order are seriously questioned in this matter, highlighting the need for urgent judicial intervention. The persistent disregard for the court's directives calls for decisive action to ensure compliance and uphold the integrity of the legal system," the plea stated.
Apart from Patanjali and Baba Ramdev, the notice has also been issued to the Centre,the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India as well as other related parties. The matter is slated to be heard again in November.
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Previous missteps by Baba Ramdev and Patanjali
It was only earlier this month that the Supreme Court shut downcontempt proceedings against Ramdev and his aide, Acharya Balkrishna after they tendered unconditional apology and an undertaking for producing misleading advertisements and claims about products.
The contempt case was filed by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) against Patanjali's ads attacking allopathy and claiming that its 'Coronil' medicine could cure COVID-19.
After the case reached the apex court, the judges threatened to impose a penalty of $120,000 on Patanjali if it did not stop its practice of making false and misleading claims in advertisements.
In February, earlier this year, the court slapped an interim ban on ads of Patanjali for not adhering to the guidelines.
It was after Ramdev submitted apology affidavits,alongside the publication of apologies in multiple newspapers across the country that the court took a lenient stance.
(With inputs from agencies)