New Delhi: In the wake of government refusing
to give a go-ahead to commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal,
BJP today said no decision should be taken under pressure or
in haste as this was a sensitive issue.
"This is a sensitive issue having long-term implications
for farmers, consumers, food security and also health. No
action should be taken that gives the impression that it has
been done under pressure of multinationals," BJP spokesperson
Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Till now, BJP has been more or less opposed to
cultivation of Bt brinjal, a genetically-modified variety of
the vegetable said to be more resistant to pests. Three
BJP-ruled states - Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka
- have already expressed their opposition to its cultivation.
However, BJP has not come out openly against the GM crop
and some leaders have maintained that the party is yet to take
a "considered opinion" on the issue.
"No decision should be taken in haste or under
international pressure," Prasad said.
Before Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh made the
announcement about Bt brinjal, BJP had also accused the UPA
government of speaking in different voices on the issue.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010, 20:36