The United Breweries Group has decided to withdraw its television advertisement that provoked Harbhajan Singh's mother Avtar Kaur to file a legal notice against the company.
The surrogate advertisement that promoted a liquor brand through Indian captain M.S. Dhoni had spoofed a Harbhajan look-alike and the rival brand that the off-spinner endorsed. A peeved Avtar Kaur sent a legal notice to the UB Group.
Reacting to the development, UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya said that his company will ‘replace the commercial' in the interests of cricket. In a press statement, the company said: “The UB Group and Dr. Vijay Mallya are very closely involved with and have a significant stake in cricket and would never disparage any cricketer. Clearly, the letter received by us has been instigated by vested interests with mischievous intent.
“Despite clear-cut legal opinion and the view of the management that there is no maintainable case, and further keeping in mind that the commercial can be used by vested interests to further their own agenda, in the interest of the game of cricket, Dr. Mallya has graciously chosen to replace the current commercial.
“This gesture of Dr. Mallya is based on the larger national cricketing interests, particularly at time when the Indian team is engaged in a crucial cricket test series in the United Kingdom.”
