Misleading ads: M Venkaiha Naidu shares his experience

New Delhi: SP MP Naresh Agarwal on Friday raised the issue of misleading advertisements in the Rajya Sabha during the Zero Hour. Interjecting on the issue, Chairman of the Rajya Sabha M. Venkaiha Naidu told the House about his own experience. “Soon after becoming the vice-president, I came across an advertisement of a medication that promised to help lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time, the advertisement asked for some one thousand rupees, so I paid,” Mr Naidu said.

Then, however, instead of receiving a package of the pills, Mr Naidu received a mail telling him there was another tablet he needed to buy to achieve the magical weight loss. That tablet cost another Rs 1,000 and he would be sent the original medication only after he paid money for the second one, the mail said. Mr Naidu added,

“You know my mentality. I did not leave the matter there,” saying that he asked his staff to raise the matter with the concerned ministry. The minister concerned, he said, acted promptly and an inquiry was carried out. He said it was found that the advertisement originated from the US and added that it should be examined how to check such advertisements.