AAP says it will do better than Gujarat in Karnataka assembly elections
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is scouting for good candidates who can win on their own reputation, and would focus on about 60 constituencies in the Assembly elections in Karnataka just a few months away.
AAP is upbeat after wresting control of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) from the BJP and the noticeable show in the Gujarat Assembly election, say party leaders in Karnataka.
The party's state unit Vice-President Bhaskar Rao told PTI here on Friday that the five AAP candidates who emerged victorious in the Gujarat poll were not backed by "money and muscle power", and they won on their own reputation. "We would like to pursue that line here (in Karnataka)", he said.
While the party would field "new and good candidates" in all the 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, where the polls are due by May, it would focus on 50 to 60 "winnable" segments.
"We are very optimistic that in Karnataka, we will make a better mark than what we have done in Gujarat", Rao said, adding that campaigning by AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for Karnataka Assembly polls would definitely boost the party's "winnability, acceptability and chances".
Karnataka needs a "thoroughly new model", he said. Congress, BJP and coalition models have been "rejected", according to him.
"We will concentrate on people (candidates) with good reputation", added Rao, a former Bengaluru Police Commissioner.
On the contention in some quarters that the AAP had eaten into Congress votes in the recent Assembly elections in Gujarat, he said nobody stopped M Mallikarjun Kharge-led party from consolidating their votes.
He also said, "We are buoyed that Modi magic has not worked in Himachal Pradesh. So, it cannot work here (Karnataka) also".
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Eggs safe for consumption, cancer risk claims unfounded: FSSAI
New Delhi (PTI): The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has categorically dismissed recent claims linking eggs to cancer risk, terming them "misleading, scientifically unsupported and capable of creating unnecessary public alarm".
In a statement issued on Saturday, the food safety regulator clarified that eggs available in the country are safe for human consumption and that reports alleging the presence of carcinogenic substances in eggs lack a scientific basis.
The clarification comes in response to media reports and social media posts claiming detection of nitrofuran metabolites (AOZ) -- substances purportedly linked to cancer -- in eggs sold in India.
FSSAI officials emphasised that the use of nitrofurans is strictly prohibited at all stages of poultry and egg production under the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011.
The regulator explained that an Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) of 1.0 µg/kg has been prescribed for nitrofuran metabolites -- but solely for regulatory enforcement purposes. This limit represents the minimum level that can be reliably detected by advanced laboratory methods and does not indicate that the substance is permitted for use.
"Detection of trace residues below the EMRL does not constitute a food safety violation nor does it imply any health risk," an FSSAI official said.
FSSAI said India's regulatory framework is aligned with international practices. The European Union and the United States also prohibit the use of nitrofurans in food-producing animals and employ reference points for action or guideline values only as enforcement tools.
Differences in numerical benchmarks across countries reflect variations in analytical and regulatory approaches, not differences in consumer safety standards, the authority noted.
On public health concerns, FSSAI cited scientific evidence indicating that there is no established causal link between trace-level dietary exposure to nitrofuran metabolites and cancer or other adverse health outcomes in humans.
"No national or international health authority has associated normal egg consumption with increased cancer risk," the regulator reiterated.
Addressing reports related to the testing of a specific egg brand, officials explained that such detections are isolated and batch-specific, often arising from inadvertent contamination or feed-related factors, and are not representative of the overall egg supply chain in the country.
"Generalising isolated laboratory findings to label eggs as unsafe is scientifically incorrect," the statement said.
FSSAI urged consumers to rely on verified scientific evidence and official advisories, reiterating that eggs remain a safe, nutritious, and valuable component of a balanced diet when produced and consumed in compliance with food safety regulations.
