New Delhi, August 22
Apparently on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions, the BJP has warned its MPs against attending a US junket organised by seed giant Monsanto — a major in genetically modified (GM) crops technology.

Sources said senior party leader JP Nadda, in line with Modi’s wishes, had asked the party MPs to drop out of the “study tour” which included a farm progress show in Iowa followed by a visit to Monsanto headquarters in St Louis.

After a ban on field trials of GM crops at the behest of the RSS-supported agriculture organisations, the MNC-sponsored trip with BJP MPs on board was seen as a bid at lobbying by the activists.

Though the BJP sources confirmed that the government continued to be open to research in GM technology based on scientific field trials, they said the PM’s clear instructions were that study tours on such issues would be organised by the government. The Tribune on July 31 had reported that in spite of resistance from its ideological fountainhead the BJP leadership was open to field trials of the GM crops.

Apparently the government does not want any NDA MP to be part of the trips that could be construed as “lobbying” or a “junket”. Sources said similar messages had been passed on to the allies.

The list of invitees for the US junket included Rajyavardhan Singh Rathod, Pratap Sinha, Brij Bhushan Singh, Om Prakash Yadav, Satish Kumar Gautam, Bhola Singh and Arjun Lal Meena (all from the BJP).

Invites also included Dushyant Chautala (Indian National Lok Dal), Prataprao Ganpat Rao Jadhav and Rajan Baurao Vichare (Shiv Sena), and Prem Singh Chandumajra (Shiromani Akali Dal).