Ajay Devgn challenges FDA notice in Vimal ad row; Tukaram Mundhe says proceedings complete

Devgn has filed a petition describing the FDA's action as "arbitrary".

The FDA had issued the notice alleging that advertisements for 'Vimal Elaichi' were surrogate promotions for 'Vimal Pan Masala', which is banned in Maharashtra.

Ajay Devgn challenges FDA notice

In his plea, Devgn reportedly argued that the FDA had arbitrarily targeted him instead of taking action against the manufacturing company.

The actor has challenged the agency's decision to issue the show-cause notice to him in connection with the advertisements.

Apart from Devgn, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan and actor Tiger Shroff were also served notices by the FDA over their association with the advertisements.

FDA proceedings against actors

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe reportedly said on Friday that the proceedings against the three actors for allegedly violating state rules had been completed.

Mundhe said the department would continue the proceedings before the joint commissioner, NDTV reported.

The matter concerns the alleged promotion of a banned pan masala product through advertisements featuring a permitted product under the same brand name.
Mundhe calls out actors over tobacco advertising

Earlier, Mundhe had described the actors as "violators of the law" after one of them allegedly failed to respond to the show-cause notice within the stipulated period.

At an event titled Yuva, hosted by NDTV, the FDA commissioner also criticised what he described as "double standards" in the advertising of tobacco products and challenged celebrities endorsing such products to allow their children to consume them first.

"I hate to be a sycophant. Anybody. I hate sycophancy. Double standards, multiple standards, multiple faces, I don't like them," Mundhe said.

"Why ask somebody else to follow it? Let's start with yourself," he added.