Mimi gives her identity as public rep in ad, draws flak

By IANS | Published: January 23, 2020 08:06 PM2020-01-23T20:06:09+5:302020-01-23T20:15:11+5:30

Trinamool Congress MP and actress Mimi Chakraborty has triggered a controversy by giving her identity in a commercial advertisement for a private company as a "public representative".

Mimi gives her identity as public rep in ad, draws flak | Mimi gives her identity as public rep in ad, draws flak

Mimi gives her identity as public rep in ad, draws flak

The Bengali television ad, in which Mimi is seen endorsing the coconut oil for a popular brand, also features another actress Vidya Balan.

Mimi is seen in the commercial doing up her hair before a mirror.

Balan walks up to her and asks: "You are still busy with your hair?"

To which Mimi replies, "I am now a public representative. So I need a befitting hairstyle".

Mimi has been endorsing the product for long, much before she became the Lok Sabha member from Jadavpur last year. However, the specific commercial is a new one introduced by the company.

CPI-M leader and leading lawyer Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said what Mimi has done is in "very bad taste.'

"This is in very bad taste. She has become a public representative to debate in Parliament or express her opinion on political or social issues, but not for brand promotions. This does not gel with the political culture," Bhattacharya, a former advocate general of Tripura, told .

He had lost out to Mimi in the Lok Sabha election.

West Bengal BJP General Secretary Sayantan Basu said her act deserved slapping of a privilege motion and it could be violative of the Representation of the People Act.

"This is illegal. A privilege motion should be brought against her. The Speaker should take a decision. I think it may be violative of the Representation of the People Act," Basu told .

He alleged that Trinamool representatives have scant regard for rules.

"The problem is Trinamool Congress representatives don't abide by any rules. This is unfortunate. The party should also try to educate them about the dos and don'ts," he said.

could not contact Mimi, who did not take calls on her official mobile number, while sms messages were not delivered.

However, the news portal of a leading Bengali newspaper quoted her as saying that she did not know the rules.

( With inputs from IANS )

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