IAS Tukaram Mundhe's strict comment
Tukaram Mundhe: Maharashtra FDA Commissioner, IAS officer Tukaram Mundhe has made strong remarks against Bollywood stars Shahrukh Khan, Ajay Devgan and Tiger Shroff over the advertisement of Vimal Cardamom related to Pan Masala. He has described these actors as 'violators of the law'. Mundhe clarified that being a celebrity does not mean that they are free from the law.
Questions raised on Pan Masala advertisement
Pan masala is banned in Maharashtra, and the FDA alleges that the Vimal Cardamom advertisement is actually a veiled promotion of Vimal Pan Masala. On this basis, show-cause notices were issued to the three stars. Mundhe said that for him these are not stars but only advertisers. He said, 'In your eyes these may be stars, but in my eyes they are law breakers. The law will take its course.
Responsibility of Shahrukh, Ajay and Tiger
The FDA Commissioner said that two of the three actors have responded to the notice, while one actor has not responded yet. The process of adjudication and prosecution has been started against him. Regarding Shahrukh Khan's answer, Mundhe said that he did not remember properly, but it is possible that he might not have answered.
Mundhe also rejected the argument that the responsibility lies solely with the company. He said that under the Food Safety and Standards Act, responsibility also falls on the person or organization involved in advertising. Celebrities should do due diligence before being associated with a product. From an ethical and legal point of view it is not right that the endorser should try to avoid his responsibility.
Maharashtra FDA had issued notice to Shahrukh, Ajay and Tiger on August 11, giving them 15 days to respond. It was alleged in the notice that the 'Vimal Elaichi' campaign was linked to 'Vimal Pan Masala', which was banned by the state.