GM mustard neither Swadeshi nor safe: Swadeshi Jagran Manch

“The GEAC has been making such recommendations since 2016. They had first recommended for commercial release of GM mustard. Earlier also, during this government, field trial approvals were given by this committee for some other GM crops. They were not approved by the ministry. The government must not approve this also. We have opposed it earlier and we continue to oppose it. But the government must take note of GEAC actions as to why it comes up with such approvals when there is so much opposition to GM mustard for legitimate reasons,” SJM convenor Ashwani Mahajan told The Indian Express.

“GM mustard is neither Swadeshi nor safe. It is neither good for health nor for environment. It is herbicide tolerant mustard and so there will be greater use of herbicides which have been proven to be carcinogenic. How can the GEAC give such an approval when it is proven that glyphosate is carcinogenic?”

The SJM has been steadfast in its opposition to GM mustard. It had similarly issued statements in 2017 and even written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to withdraw the permission given in “undue haste” to cultivate GM mustard crop, insisting that it is “unscientific, toxic and anti-biodiversity”.