BJP MP flags "alarming" rise in consumption of junk food, urges govt to tighten regulation
New Delhi (PTI): Stating that the consumption of junk food has increased multifold over last few years, Rajya Sabha BJP MP Sujeet Kumar on Friday urged the government to make regulations related to packaged food more stringent, and levy additional tax to discourage people from consuming it.
Raising the issue in the House during Zero Hour, the MP from Odisha said the increase in consumption of junk food can be linked to the rise in non-communicable diseases in India.
"There is an alarming rise in consumption of junk food, which are high in salt, sugar, unhealthy fat, but offer minimal nutrition," Kumar said.
He quoted a WHO report from 2023, and said there has been a 40 times increase in consumption of packaged junk food between 2006 and 2019.
"Excessive consumption of junk food combined with poor lifestyle is one of the key reasons for increase in non-communicable diseases (NCD)," he said.
Kumar cited an ICMR report to say that NCD-related deaths increased "from 37.9 per cent in 1990 to 61.8 per cent in 2016."
"Most worrisome is that children are getting addicted because advertisements target them. Almost 41 per cent of our population are children. Demographic dividend can become dangerous if our children grow as unhealthy citizens," he said.
The MP also said that the same brands sell better quality food products with better ingredients in western countries, but sell cheaper versions in India.
"They prioritise profit over the health of Indian citizens, taking advantage of our regulatory loopholes. The government should take measures to strengthen regulations," he said.
The MP called for stricter FSSAI regulation, and urged the government to consider levying health tax on junk food. He also stressed on mentioning the ingredients in legible fonts on packaged food.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
