PIL against cricketers in liquor ad

Chandigarh, Oct 28 (UNI) A PIL seeking directions to the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) to restrain cricketing icons Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Mohinder Singh Dhoni from appearing in the advertisements meant to promote liquor sale, came up for a hearing in the Punjab and Haryana High Court today.

The petitioner advocate H C Arora submitted before the division bench of the acting Chief Justice Surinder Singh Nijjar and Justice Surinder Singh Saron that these three members of the Indian cricket team have of late been appearing in advertisement for promoting the sale of ''Royal Stag'' whiskey.

These cricketers who are role models specially for the young generation, could be setting wrong example when seen promoting the sale of liquor, it said.

The advertisement featuring Yuvraj Singh carries slogan ''Average is the enemy, Make it large'' and the logos appearing alongside connect cricket with whiskey.

It was further pointed out in the public interest litigation, that a number of articles written by leading cricket experts like Imran Khan, Viv Richards, Stephen Fleming and Mahela Jayawardhane appearing in various newspapers show this Indian cricket trio of Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Mohinder Singh Dhoni supporting the liquor brand.

This advertisement campaign, according to the petitioner, was violative of the provisions of Article 47 of the Constitution which mandates the government to make endeavour to introduce prohibition against consumption of liquor except for medicinal purposes.

The petitioner argued that these cricketers were giving misleading slogans while knowing fully well that consumption of liquor is injurious to health.

As the petitioner was still in the midst of his submissions, the bench taking note of the fact that BCCI was one of the respondent, directed the PIL to be placed before third division bench headed by Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar on Tuesday October 31.

UNI XC JN MSJ RK1859