Ramadoss seeks Modi's intervention on tobacco controversy

Former union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to increase the size of pictorial warnings on tobacco product packets to 85 percent as scheduled earlier.

The founder member of the PMK, which is a National Democratic Alliance ally, described arguments against increasing the size of pictorial warnings on cigarette packets as "ignorant" and "foolish".

"It is high time the prime minister intervened. I appeal to him to order the health ministry to increase pictorial warning to 85 percent immediately," Ramadoss told the media.

The health ministry has put in abeyance a move to increase pictorial warning in tobacco products to 85 percent effective April 1.

Ramadoss noted that an MP has stated that there were no studies to link tobacco use leads to cancer, to which another parliamentarian has said by using the same logic, sugar should be banned.

The former minister said both these were ignorant and foolish utterances without any scientific basis and the centre should stop it "as the country should not be put to shame".

He noted that globally acclaimed institutions, including the Indian Council of Medical Research, have done hundreds of studies linking tobacco use to not just cancer, but to diseases related to kidney, lungs and brain as well.