Venkaiah duped by weight-loss advert

NAIDU SHOT OFF A LETTER TO UNION CONSUMER AFFAIRS MINISTER RAM VILAS PASWAN HIGHLIGHTING HIS EXPERIENCE

NEWDELHI: Even vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu has not been spared from the menace of fake advertisements.

During a discussion in the Rajya Sabha, initiated by Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Naresh Aggarwal, on adulteration of food articles, Naidu, who is the House chairman, narrated how he was duped by an advertisement and ended up losing ₹1000.

Naidu told members that shortly after becoming the vice president, he came across an advertisement of a medication that promised to help lose a certain amount of weight in 28 days. It was priced at ₹1230, he said.

“I paid the money but after some days received a packet. When I opened it, there was a note which said that I have to pay some ₹1,000 again to get the origi- nal medicine,” Naidu said.

It was then that Naidu shot off a letter to Union consumer affairs minister Ram Vilas Paswan highlighting his experience.

The latter i mmediately ordered an inquiry and informed Naidu that the company that issued the advertisement was based in United States. “There should be something done about such advertisements,” he said.

Paswan replied that his ministry is working on a new legislation to take action against companies that make false promises through advertisements.