The Supreme Court on Tuesday criticized the Indian Medical Association (IMA) President, R V Asokan, for the format of his published apology, deeming it “illegible” due to its minuscule font. The apology was issued following remarks made by Asokan in an interview, which the court found to be detrimental.
A bench comprising Justices Hima Kohli and Sandeep Mehta has instructed Asokan’s representative, Senior Advocate P S Patwalia, to submit physical copies of 20 editions of ‘The Hindu’ newspaper, where the apology was printed. “We will not budge until we see the advertisements in physical form. Show us the actual size,” the bench stated, emphasizing the need to verify the legibility of the published apology.
The controversy began when Asokan, during a PTI interview on April 29, discussed Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.’s misleading advertisements, resulting in statements that the apex court perceived as “damaging”. Following the interview, Asokan issued an unconditional apology, which he claimed was published across various publications.
On May 14, during an earlier hearing, the court had expressed its dissatisfaction with Asokan’s statements and had initially refused to accept his affidavit of apology. The bench had strongly remarked, “You cannot sit on a couch giving an interview to the press and lampooning the court.”
The issue escalated when Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. requested the court to take judicial notice of Asokan’s statements, adding another layer to the ongoing legal scrutiny. The IMA President had also lamented the court’s critique of certain practices within the medical association and the broader medical community.
