New Delhi: Cigarette major Godfrey Phillips on Monday approached the Supreme Court seeking stay on a National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission order that asked the company to take corrective measures against a ‘misleading’ advertisement.
The Commission in February last year had directed the company to discontinue publishing advertisements which give an impression that the person who smokes its Red & White cigarette could perform stunts like actor Akshay Kumar and detracted people from the statutory warnings.
It had also asked the company to issue new advertisements in English and Hindi newspapers giving the “correct information”.
According to the cigarette manufacturer, the Commission's direction was based on the provisions of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003.
This legislation was not applicable at the time of advertisement in 1999 and so such direction was in "total disregard of the applicable provisions of law", it said.
The order against the company was passed in February 2006 when the Act, which prohibited advertisements of cigarette, was already in force, the petition filed through advocate Rajan Narain said.
(With PTI inputs)
Comments
0 comment