Court sent notice to Salman Khan who is a threat to the society, advertising of Pan Masala was costly:

News India Live, Digital Desk : Celebrity Endorsement : Bollywood’s Bhaijaan Salman Khan is once again seen getting into legal trouble. This time the matter is not related to any of his films or personal life, but about advertising a pan masala brand. A Delhi court has issued a notice to Salman Khan while hearing a petition, in which he has been accused of having a bad influence on the society, especially the youth.

What is the whole matter?

A social activist from Delhi has filed a petition in the court saying that a big and influential star like Salman Khan endorsing products like Pan Masala is “dangerous for the society”. The petition states that:

• Bad impact on youth: Salman Khan has a huge fan following in the country, especially among children and youth. When they advertise such a product, their fans are also inspired to use it considering it ‘stylish’ and ‘cool’.
• Violation of law: Citing the Cable Television Networks Act 1995, the petition says that advertising such products is a violation of the law.
• Allegations of surrogate advertising: Often, instead of directly advertising the banned products, companies promote cardamom or other products under the same brand name. This is called ‘surrogate advertising’, and this has also been made a big issue in the petition.

The court asked for answers

Considering the seriousness of this petition, Tis Hazari Court has issued notice to all the concerned parties including Salman Khan, Pan Masala Company and Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) and sought their response. The court has asked why such advertisements should not be banned.

The petitioner demands that not only should these advertisements be stopped immediately, but a heavy fine should also be imposed on Salman Khan, so that any big star in future thinks before endorsing such products.

This is not the first time that a Bollywood star has faced criticism for advertising pan masala. Earlier, Akshay Kumar, Shahrukh Khan and Ajay Devgan were also trolled on social media for such advertisements, after which Akshay Kumar publicly apologized and announced his withdrawal from the advertisement. Now it remains to be seen what response comes from Salman Khan on this legal notice.