 "Amrapali defends Dhoni")
Noida-based Amrapali Group on Saturday came out in defence of cricketer M S Dhoni, saying the cricketer was needlessly dragged into a controversy, tarnishing his image in the process.
"M S Dhoni is no longer our brand ambassador, as his name and image got affected due to this association and without his mistake. So, we have decided mutually to discontinue the endorsement," Anil Kumar Sharma, CMD, Amrapali Group said.
Dhoni was Amrapali's brand ambassador for around six-seven years and found himself trolled on social media recently when buyers of the real estate major, who were reportedly not given flats on time in a project called Sapphire in Noida's Sector 45, tagged him to express their displeasure over his endorsement. They asked Dhoni to intervene and persuade the builder to deliver their flats or discontinue the brand association.
While Dhoni initially said he would take up the matter with the builder, by the end of the week he had opted out of the brand endorsement, which is counted among his older associations with a company.
Media reports had suggested that Dhoni's wife Sakshi had a stake in the real estate firm, which was denied by the group. Some media reports had she was expected to step down from a directorship in the firm.
Sharma said in a statement, "… Amrapali Group had established a firm in which Sakshi Dhoni has 25 per cent stake as a director. On the same, I want to clear one thing that this firm was established with the objective of charity, whose main motive was to serve poor & needy people through charitable hospital. But no activities were performed and no transaction has been done through this firm. So, there is no question of any revenue generating financial activity. Unnecessary, if a renowned player image gets maligned, then the both parties are not able to run the firm, which motive were purely pious and charitable."
Meanwhile, company officials have said the first phase of the Sapphire project, which was launched in 2009, has been completed and about 800 families have moved in, of the 1,000 flats. "However, civil and electrical work in many towers was yet to be completed resulting in complaints," they said.
Residents are likely to now petition Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav to intervene in the matter.
Sharma also said in the statement: "We offer these villas to World Cup winning team as to honour their efforts, for that we did not charge anything. Amrapali Group never denied to handover those villas, nor now. In this duration, cricketers or their representatives did not ask about the status of their villas and also there were some relevant process and formalities (that) need to be done from their end. Whenever they ask us, we will share the required details of their villas with them. I would also like to clarify that the project is in final stage where villas were promised."
The Amrapali-Dhoni issue comes at a time when the government is considering penalising celebrity brand ambassadors who are part of misleading ads. A parliamentary committee set up to revamp the consumer protection Act has made the recommendation, which is expected to be formally tabled in a report shortly.
The penalty includes a five-year jail term or a Rs 50-lakh fine, which brand experts say could discourage celebrities from endorsing brands, a popular marketing tool in India.
