Photo : TIMES INTERNET NETWORK
Film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff have been served notices by the district consumer disputes redressal forum, Jaipur-II, asking them to appear on March 19 for an alleged “misleading” advertisement of the Vimal Pan Masala. The chairman of JB Industries (manufacturer of Vimal Gutkha brand) has also been served a notice to appear before the forum for their ad that claims each grain of pan masala contains ‘saffron’.
The notice is over their tage line “”dane dane mein hai kesar ka dum” (each grain has strength of saffron). As per the TOI Report, Commission Chairman Gyarsilal Meena and member Hemlata Agarwal issued the order while reviewing a complaint filed by Jaipur resident Yogendra Singh Badiyal. The complainant alleged that JB Industries produces Vimal Pan Masala and distributes it nationwide for sale.
“The three actors, including Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgan and Tiger Shroff, advertise it to increase its sales. It is claimed in the advertisement that it contains saffron. However, the truth is that the price of saffron is around 4 lakh rupees per kg and their Pan Masala with Tobacco pouch comes in at Rs 5. In such a situation, forget about adding saffron, even its fragrance cannot be added to it,” the petitioner said.
The complaint alleged that the misleading advertisement encourages more people to purchase the pan masala and tobacco combo, ultimately benefiting the manufacturer. It further stated that the actors promote false claims by implying that every grain of the pan masala contains saffron.
“The manufacturing company is doing business worth crores of rupees and, on the other hand, the common people are inviting diseases like cancer by consuming the harmful and fatal combo of Pan Masala with tobacco known as gutkha. This mix, known as gutkha, is harmful to health, and the manufacturing company is also aware of this. In such a situation, it is deliberately advertising it by claiming that it contains saffron to mislead the common people. In such a situation, its advertisement should be banned,” the petitioner said.