Mangalore, Dec 29: KPCC Secretary Ivan D’Souza said that the BJP wings have been accusing Congress for the the proposal of banning arecanut, but everyone must blame BJP for this decision.
Addressing the press meet held at Congress office on December 27, Friday he said that when an expert committee was formed in 2001, NDA government which was in power at the Centre under the leadership of then PM Vajpayee, where it stated that chewing arecanut was carcinogenic and also mentioned that it had proof.
Hence the BJP solely becomes responsible for the proposal of arecanut ban and they had even files affidavit in the Supreme Court by the Union Health Ministry, he said.
Ivan also criticized CAMPCO for trying to mislead the areca growers instead of protecting their interests. The congress is trying to withdraw the decision of banning arecanut and growers must remove fear from their minds, he informed.
Speaking on Derlakatte case, Ivan said urged the officials to impose Goonda Act on the accused.
