Salman Khan faces legal trouble over ‘misleading’ pan masala advertisements, consumer court seeks response from actor

Complaint against Salman Khan for pan masala ad

The complaint, filed by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Rajasthan High Court advocate Inder Mohan Singh Honey, sought a ban on the advertisements, and said that they misled the consumers. In his complaint in the Kota Consumer Court, Honey claimed that the company manufacturing Rajshree Pan Masala and its brand ambassador, actor Salman Khan, have been engaged in misleading advertising by promoting the product as containing “saffron-infused cardamom” and “saffron-infused pan masala.” The petitioner said that the claims can’t be true since saffron, which costs about ₹4 lakh per kilogram, cannot be an ingredient in a product priced at ₹5. The complaint said that claims like these encourage youngsters to consume pan masala, which is a leading cause of mouth cancer.

“Salman Khan is a role model for many people. We have filed a complaint against it in the Kota Consumer Court, and notices have been issued for a hearing. Celebrities or film stars in other countries don’t even promote cold drinks, but they are promoting tobacco and pan masala. I urge them not to spread the wrong message to the youth, as pan masala is one of the leading causes of mouth cancer,” the petitioner told ANI.

Kota consumer court seeks response from actor

Following the complaint, the Kota Consumer Court has issued notices to the actor and sought a formal response. According to ANI, responses from both the manufacturing company and the actor are awaited. The next hearing is scheduled for 27 November.

Salman Khan has appeared in ads for Rajshree Elaichi. The company also manufactures pan masala, but the actor has not appeared in any ads for the product.