Can’t lampoon court: Supreme Court refuses to accept IMA president’s apology

New Delhi, May 14

In some stern talking with Indian Medical Association President RV Asokan over his “very unfortunate,” and “damaging” statements against it while answering questions about Patanjali Ayurved’s misleading advertisements case, the Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to accept his unconditional apology.

“You cannot sit on a couch giving an interview to the Press and lampooning the court…. You can’t vent your internal feeling in the Press like this. That too, against an order of this court,” a Bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah told Asokan. In an interview to a news agency, Ashokan had termed it “unfortunate” that the Supreme Court criticised the IMA and certain practices of private doctors.

“We are the first ones to uphold the freedom of speech, the right of free speech and right of thought but there are times when there has to be self-restraint. We did not see it in your interview, that is the point,” Justice Kohli told Asokan, who was present in the court. It refused to accept his unconditional apology and prayer for clemency, saying, “Your conduct is not something which we can condone so easily.”