'Be prepared for serious consequence': Top medical body director's remarks annoy Supreme Court

"There has been a marked improvement. There was only Patanjali earlier, now there are names. We appreciate that. They have understood," a bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanulla said after examining the public apology issued by Patanjali Ayurved.

The top court asked Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna to file on record the original page of each newspaper in which the public apology was issued.

However, the bench also took stern exception to comments made by Indian Medical Association (IMA) President RV Asokan in an interview with the news agency PTI.

The remarks were flagged by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi who represented Patanjali Ayurved in the court.

The bench asked Mukul Rohatgi to bring the IMA Director's interview with PTI on record and warned of more serious consequences.

"Bring it on record. This will be more serious than what has been happening till now. Be prepared for more serious consequences," said Justice Amanullah.

"You have not covered yourself with glory and how can you decide what the court will do, if this is correct," the bench told IMA's counsel.

In an interview with the PTI, the IMA President had said that it was "unfortunate" that the Supreme Court criticised the IMA and the practices of private doctors.

"We sincerely believe they need to look at what was the material before them. They perhaps did not consider that this was not the issue that was before them in the court. It does not behove the Supreme Court to take a broadside against the medical profession of the country which after all sacrificed so many lives for the Covid war," V Asokan had said.

Asokan made the remark in response to a query about the Supreme Court's observation in its hearing on April 23 during which it pointed one finger at Patanjali and the remaining four on IMA.