BJP responsible for proposed ban on arecanut'

Addressing mediapersons at a news conference here on Friday, he said that in the report prepared and submitted by an expert committee on arecanut formed in 2001 when NDA government was in power at the Centre under the leadership of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, it was stated that 'chewing arecanut was carcinogenic' (cancer-causing) and there were also 'evidences to prove this'.

He said that the eleven-member expert committee on arecanut which prepared the report included leaders affiliated to the BJP such as the then-president of CAMPCO (Mangalore) S R Rangamurthy, former chairman Rama Bhatt as well as the then-president of All-India Areca Growers' Association from Puttur Dr P K S Bhat. At present, the Union Health Ministry has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on the very basis of this report, he claimed, adding that the BJP did not have any moral right to come forward and oppose the affidavit when a report had earlier been formulated by their leaders which stated that consuming arecanut was hazardous to health.

“If arecanut has to be banned due to its carcinogenic properties, tobacco also should be banned prior to it, as it too tends to cause cancer among smokers,” he said.

He also alleged that the co-operative body CAMPCO was trying to mislead the arecanut growers by giving them false information. “It is supposed to be protecting the interest of areca growers, but it is not doing so,” he said.

Looking to dispel the fear of ban on arecanut crop among farmers, he said that the Congress party was in the process of withdrawing the affidavit, which would be done shortly.

Goonda Act for the accused in Deralakatte forced sex case

“The accused in the Deralakatte case who forced the medical students into sexual acts and blackmailed them should be booked under the Goonda Act. They deserve to be booked under it,” he said, maintaining that the state government was dedicated towards checking moral policing in the district.