India, Aug. 19 -- The turmoil within the Cine & TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) has intensified following allegations of misuse of power and funds against President Poonam Dhillon and Senior Vice-President Padmini Kolhapure, as 11 members of its 21-member Executive Committee resigned. Amid competing claims over the association's functioning and whether fresh elections are required, former CINTAA treasurer Deepak Parashar, who was among those who stepped down, tells us that his resignation was not linked to the ongoing internal differences. Parashar says he had submitted his resignation twice before the mass resignation, citing growing differences within the leadership. "The president (Dhillon) and the general secretary (actor Upasana Singh), after 12-15 months, were suddenly not on the same page. There was so much discord happening, so much humiliation, shouting, screaming and a very, very bad atmosphere. All that hurt me a lot," he says. He stresses that he does not consider himself to be on either side of the dispute and recalls Dhillon urging him to withdraw his resignation: "Poonam immediately wrote back that you are the best person for the post of treasurer and you have the maximum attendance. She said, 'We will not let you resign'." The mass resignation raised questions over CINTAA's status and the possibility of fresh elections. Parashar says the matter was referred to the Labour Commissioner and the federation. "When the mass resignation happened, immediately it was forwarded to the labour commissioner because we come under the labour laws. Then it was sent to the federation, which is the mother body. Because the majority resigned, there is no CINTAA anymore until a fresh election is done," he claims. The 74-year-old reveals a separate committee was subsequently formed by Dhillon, Kolhapure and those aligned with them, with an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) also proposed. However, Parashar says the legality of the new arrangement is not for him to decide....