Karnataka BJP MLA Suresh Kumar urges Finance Minister to ban marketing of online gaming companies
Bengaluru, (PTI): Deploring that young minds are falling prey to gambling and going astray, former Karnataka minister and senior BJP legislator Suresh Kumar has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman requesting her to take immediate steps to ban advertising, marketing, and texting by online gaming companies.
He pointed out that there are a number of reports from the police across the country highlighting people losing money in online gambling and ruining their lives. Also, there have been reports about indebted people taking the extreme step of ending their lives, unable to survive the trauma and repay debts, Kumar added.
"As a lawmaker representing Rajajinagar Assembly Constituency in Bengaluru, Karnataka, I am in receipt of verbal complaints from several friends and parents of residents from my own constituency as well as from other parts of Bengaluru that they have been getting both text messages on their mobile phones and unsolicited marketing calls trying to entice/force them to play online rummy by betting their money," Kumar said.
In a letter dated December 8, he said, as part of their marketing strategy, the companies offer a 'welcome bonus' of thousands of rupees to lure people and get them to become addicts of the game.
Some people even told him that blocking these numbers has been of no use as these messages and calls come from a new set of numbers, the MLA said, adding that "online gambling, as we know, is like liquor and cigarettes".
"Though the consumption of liquor and cigarettes is allowed under the law, their manufacturers are expressly prohibited from advertising and marketing them, and even our GST regime treats them as demerit goods. The government imposes steep taxation on them to discourage people from consuming them," he added.
Further noting that governments also have separate funds and have been running campaigns to discourage people from smoking cigarettes and drinking liquor, Kumar said the Supreme Court too has laid down tough measures to prevent selling of tobacco or cigarettes near educational institutions.
"I am of the strong view that the same regulations should apply to online games involving money. I am aware courts have upheld the legal validity of online games of skill, but there is no bar on the government from prohibiting advertising/marketing/texting by online gaming companies to lure people into playing these games by betting money," he said.
Once into it, many people tend to become addicts and find it difficult to come out of its web, he said, adding that the pressing need for money may even drive them to commit acts of crime.
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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.
