Dabur has sued Patanjali Ayurved in the Delhi High Court, claiming that the company’s ads denigrate Dabur’s Chyawanprash products.
Dabur has resisted the court’s initial desire to send the case to mediation because it wants immediate relief. Hearings on the case are now scheduled for the final week of January.
Read on to find out all the details!
Dabur Sues Baba Ramdev in Delhi High Court For Degenerating Ads
According to the lawsuit, an advertisement that features Baba Ramdev, the founder of Patanjali, makes false claims that only Patanjali’s Chyawanprash is “original” and that other manufacturers’ products are inauthentic because they are ignorant of Ayurvedic customs.
As per him, “Jinko Ayurved aur Vedo ka gyaan nahi, Charak, Sushrut, Dhanwantari aur Chyawanrishi ke parampara mei ‘original’ Chyawanprash kaise bana payenge?”
Referencing historical Ayurvedic figures like Charak, Sushrut, Dhanwantari, and Chyawanrishi, Baba Ramdev asks how people who are ignorant of Ayurvedic and Vedic traditions could create “original” Chyawanprash in the advertisement.
Senior advocate Akhil Sibal for Dabur contended that considering its 61.6% market share in the Chyawanprash segment, these claims deceive customers and damage Dabur’s reputation.
According to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Sibal emphasized that all Chyawanprash products must contain the ingredients listed in Ayurvedic texts, so accusations of inauthenticity are unfounded.
Patanjali Accused Of Being Repeat Offender
Citing earlier Supreme Court contempt cases involving deceptive advertisements against modern medicine, Sibal accused Patanjali of being a repeat offender.
According to him, the contentious commercial may have influenced public opinion because it was broadcast on major TV channels such as Colors, Star, Zee, Sony, and Aaj Tak about 900 times over the course of three days and was also published in Dainik Jagran.
Jayant Mehta, Patanjali’s senior attorney, questioned whether the lawsuit could be maintained and asked for more time to respond.
The dispute between Dabur and Patanjali is not the first; in 2017, Dabur sued Patanjali for using trade dress and packaging that was purportedly similar to Dabur’s Chyawanprash, as well as for making derogatory advertisements.
