Patanjali Chyawanprash Controversy: The Chyawanprash dispute between Patanjali and Dabur has now reached the High Court. Dabur alleges that Patanjali made false claims and carried out misleading publicity. Whereas Patanjali is calling the advertisement puffery and hyperbole.
Patanjali vs Dabur Chyawanprash Controversy: Yoga Guru Ramdev’s company Patanjali Ayurved is once again in controversy. Delhi High Court on Thursday questioned the company as to how it can declare its Chyawanprash as the best and call all other brands as ‘cheats’. This hearing took place on the petition of Dabur India, in which it demanded a temporary ban on advertising on Patanjali. Justice Tejas Karia clarified that Patanjali can say its Chyawanprash is the best, but cannot say that all others are ‘fraud’.
Tough questions from Patanjali
Justice Karia asked Patanjali, ‘You are saying that everyone is a ‘fraud’ and I am truthful. How can you call all other Chyawanprash a fraud? You can say they are weak, but not cheating… Is there no other word in the dictionary other than ‘cheating’?’ He further said that ‘cheating’ is a negative and derogatory word and saying so can spread confusion and fear among people.
What is Dabur’s allegation?
Dabur says Patanjali has made false claims, such as that its Chyawanprash contains ’51 Ayurvedic herbs and saffron’, even though the government in 2014 had declared this claim misleading. Additionally, Dabur said the use of the word ‘special’ for a classical Ayurvedic drug violates Rule 157(1-B), which prohibits misleading labelling. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi said that Chyawanprash is a category product and when Patanjali called all other Chyawanprash ‘scams’, it insulted the entire category. Calling someone a ‘cheat’ is insulting. They may say ‘I don’t recognize you’, but they painted everyone with the same brush. And it becomes a more serious matter when it comes from a trusted person like a yoga guru.
What did Patanjali say?
Senior advocate Rajeev Nair, appearing for Patanjali, said the advertisement falls under ‘puffery and hyperbole’ as permitted by law. He said, ‘I am not saying that all other Chyawanprash are useless. What I want to say is forget others, just use me. I can call my product the best. He accused Dabur of being too sensitive, while their advertisement was just a way of comparison and promotion.