New Delhi: Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan has urged the Union environment minister Anil Dave not to grant the government’s approval for the commercial cultivation of GM Mustard following the clearance given on Friday by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under his ministry.
In his letter addressed to the minister, advocate Mr Bhushan referred to the assurance given by the Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi in October last that GM Mustard will not be released for commercial cultivation without the court’s nod in the pending litigation filed by Aruna Rodrigues. On October 7, 2016 the court had recorded AG’s undertaking and had asked the centre not to release the GM mustard till the court takes a call on all the issues.
Referring to this undertaking and the court’s order, Mr Bhushan said the issue is that with GMO contamination, our mustard will be changed at the molecular level and toxicity will remain in perpetuity. “Are we prepared to be the agents for such monumental risk and put India and its people in jeopardy without any recourse and remedy?” he asked.
He expressed a deep disquiet and anxiety at the opaque and unscientific regulatory oversight of this GM mustard. It has resulted in its undoubtedly flawed approval for ‘Commercialisation’.
