By News18
The Delhi High Court on Thursday restrained Patanjali Ayurved from running disparaging advertisements against Dabur Chyawanprash. Justice Mini Pushkarna, while hearing a plea filed by Dabur, passed an interim injunction on Thursday, stating that the ads in question appeared to target Dabur鈥檚 product specifically, while also making generic derogatory claims against other Chyawanprash brands.
What鈥檚 The Issue?
Patanjali Ayurved recently launched advertisements promoting its 鈥楶atanjali Special Chyawanprash鈥, in which it allegedly claimed that 鈥渘o other manufacturer has the knowledge to prepare Chyawanprash鈥, and used terms like 鈥渙rdinary Chyawanprash鈥 for other brands.
In the advertisement, Baba Ramdev is quoted as saying: 鈥淛inko Ayurved aur Ved ka gyaan nahi, Charak, Sushrut, Dhanwantari aur Chyawanrishi ke parampara mein 鈥榦riginal鈥 Chyawanprash kaise bana payenge鈥?鈥
Patanjali said its own product contains 51 herbs in comparison to Dabur鈥檚 40, a claim dismissed by Dabur.
These claims were perceived as disparaging not just Dabur Chyawanprash specifically, but also for other manufacturers.
Dabur鈥檚 Complaint
Dabur, a leading FMCG firm and leading manufacturer of chyawanprash, filed a petition in the Delhi High Court stating that the advertisement for 鈥楶atanjali Special Chyawanprash鈥 falsely claimed that 鈥渘o other manufacturer has the knowledge to prepare Chyawanprash,鈥 suggesting that all other products were 鈥渋nferior鈥.
鈥淚n addition, false and misleading statements made in the advertisements (in respect of an ayurvedic drug/medicine), in disparaging comparison with DABUR Chyawanprash,鈥 the petition claimed.
The ad also allegedly referred to other brands as 鈥渙rdinary,鈥 implying a lack of authenticity and expertise in Ayurvedic formulations, it added.
The advertisement made 鈥渦ntrue鈥 claims that all other manufacturers had no knowledge of Ayurvedic texts and the formulae used to prepare Chyawanprash, Dabur said.
What Delhi HC Has Said
The court has barred Patanjali from running the diparaging ads against Dabur Chyawanprash.
Justice Mini Pushkarna allowed the interim injunction on Dabur鈥檚 plea. 鈥淎pplication is allowed,鈥 the judge said.
The court posted the next hearing on July 14.
The case comes months after the HC also censured Ramdev over a video containing disparaging remarks against herbal drink Rooh Afza.