Sales of Patanjali’s so-called Covid19 medication, Coronil, will not be allowed in Maharashtra without certification from a reputable health authority, the state’s Home Minister, Anil Deshmukh, said Tuesday.

The announcement comes a day after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) registered its disapproval of Patanjali for falsely claiming the World Health Organization (WHO) had certified Coronil for safe use against Covid19 in a launch event attended by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. The WHO had previously clarified “it has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment of Covid19.”

“Launching such a drug hurriedly and being endorsed by two senior Central Union Ministers is highly deplorable. Selling of #Coronil without proper certification from competent health organizations like #WHO, #IMA and others will not be allowed in Maharashtra,” Deshmukh wrote in a Twitter thread announcing the decision.

Later, the managing director of Patanjali clarified:

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The IMA statement criticized the Union Health Ministry’s presence at the Coronil launch event, as well as his ethics in using his office to promote a “… falsely fabricated unscientific product to people of the whole country….”

The IMA has also questioned Coronil’s clinical trial data as well as the informed consent of participants therein, and has stated its intent to write to the National Medical Commission in order to seekcognizance of the blatant disrespect to the code of conduct put down by the Medical Council of India.