Upasana Singh accuses Poonam Dhillon of dictatorship in CINTAA row

CINTAA general secretary Upasana Singh has accused president Poonam Dhillon and senior vice president Padmini Kolhapure of running the actors' body in a 'dictatorial' manner, as 11 of 21 executive committee members resigned. Singh said on a podcast that Dhillon and Kolhapure send show-cause notices to those who do not say 'yes, madam' to them, and that members were denied speaking time during meetings. Former treasurer Deepak Parashar, who also resigned, told Hindustan Times that he had stepped down twice earlier due to 'humiliation, shouting, screaming' and a bad atmosphere, but said his resignation was not linked to the allegations.

Parashar said Dhillon had asked him not to resign, praising his attendance record. The Times of India reported that a fresh election is scheduled for September 12. Parashar said the matter has been referred to the Labour Commissioner and the federation, and that a new committee has been formed by Dhillon and her supporters, with an Extraordinary General Meeting proposed. He added that the legality of the new arrangement will be decided by the labour commission. NDTV reported the allegations without additional details.