TOI:CINTAA's Amit Behl apologises to Rakhi Sawant, Dolly Bindra

Television actor Amit Behl, who is the joint secretary of the Cine and TV Artists' Association (CINTAA), on Wednesday publicly apologised to actors Rakhi Sawant and Dolly Bindra for proposing a ban on them for their actions after the death of actress Pratyusha Banerjee.

"I would like to offer my unconditional apology to Dolly Bindra and Rakhi Sawant for using the word 'ban' and other related statements. I admit it is entirely my fault, and also for going on record on electronic media, Whatsapp and SMS, about their actions or views on Pratyusha Banerjee's untimely demise, which had affected me very gravely mentally. I regret it. I should have consulted my executive committee members before making such statements. I would be very grateful if the committee, and both, Rakhi ji and Dolly ji accept my apology," said Amit at a press conference, reading out a letter he sent to the committee.

Amit's comments proposing a ban on Rakhi and Dolly had appeared in a leading entertainment supplement on April 13. Rakhi had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ban ceiling fans and circulate table fans, while Dolly shared pictures of Pratyusha's body and claimed that there was sindoor on her forehead. "In the next executive committee meeting, I'm going to tender my resignation. Whatever disciplinary action they feel they want to take, I will accept."

Rakhi had earlier said: "You (Amit) used the word 'publicity stunt' and that you will 'ban us. That is not the work of CINTAA to ban anyone. This has been damaging to my career, my mother was hospitalised. If you don't apologize in front of the whole media, I'm going to sue, or maybe even I'll have to consider suicide in that case. The people of our country are abusing us so much," she said.

Rakhi said she wasn't closing the matter till the damage is rectified, and till Amit's clarification and apology are published on all media platforms.

CINTAA general secretary, actor Sushant Singh, also clarified that Amit's comments were his own and not CINTAA's stand, and that they didn't have the right to ban any TV actor or be "moral police".