Harbhajan spoof ad pulled

Harbhajan's mother sent a legal notice to UB Group, which used Dhoni to poke fun at Harbhajan's catchphrase.

NEW DELHI: A controversial advertisement in which India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni ridiculed team mate Harbhajan Singh has been yanked from the air, the alcohol company which ran the ad has said.

Harbhajan's mother Avtar Kaur sent a legal notice to the Vijay Mallya-headed UB Group, which used Dhoni to poke fun at Harbhajan's catchphrase from another ad promoting a rival brand.

"In the interest of the game of cricket, Mallya has graciously chosen to replace the current commercial," the UB Group said in a statement on Friday, claiming Kaur had been misled by "vested interests with mischievous intent”.

"This gesture ... 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," it added.

Spirit and airline magnate Mallya, who had earlier ruled out withdrawing the commercial, said on a micro-blogging site he has asked for a modified advertisement in the spirit of cricket.