New Delhi:
In the wake of government refusing to give a go-ahead to commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal, BJP on Tuesday said no decision should be taken under pressure or in haste.
"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.