New Delhi: The battle between Patanjali and other FMCG companies in the country has taken a bitter turn with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) directing Ramdev-led Patanjali Ayurved to withdraw or modify its advertisements for Patanjali Honey, terming them "misleading" and its purity claims as "unsubstantiated".

ASCI has acted on a complaint made by Dabur India in July. Dabur, is one of the leading players in the Rs 600-crore branded honey category. "We have filed a case against ASCI in court," said a Patanjali spokesperson. "They don't have any experts on board and have no authority to take any decision in these matters. We are waiting for the next hearing in which ASCI will be taken to task."

ASCI said Patanjali's claim "Patanjali honey - purity ki Double Guarantee" was not substantiated and was misleading. Patanjali had, in its advertisement, claimed that it conducts more than 100 tests on Patanjali Honey on the basis of parameters established by BIS and FSSAI.