10 February,2010 10:10 AM IST | | B V Shiva Shankar
Retired justice M F Saldanha shoots off letter to environment minister in support of Bt brinjal opponent; says apologise for 'mental patient' remark
Santosh Min B, the environment activist called a 'mental patient' by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh at a recent discussion on Bt brinjal, has found support from a retired justice of the high court.
M F Saldanha, who is also chairman of Transparency International, a private watchdog on corruption, has written to Ramesh, asking that he apologise to Santosh.
"I have demanded the minister's apology through my letter," said Saldanha. "If he fails to do so, Santosh will move the court and I will back him."
Terming Ramesh's utterance of the invective a fit case for defamation, Saldanha said the minister was intolerant and undemocratic.
"Genetic modification is a serious issue and it must be discussed keeping the national interest in mind," said Saldanha. "Jairam Ramesh has reacted as if the people were talking about his household affairs, which is very unbecoming of a minister like him."
After all-round opposition to genetically modified brinjal, the Centre yesterday seemed to back down as it said Bt brinjal would not be introduced in the country for now.
The retired judge had shot off his letter on Monday. he had received no response to it till the time of going to press.
"I know I have written to a big man such as a minister and he will not find time so easily to look at it," he said.
"I will wait for another two days and then then think of the next course of action."
Jairam Ramesh had called Santosh Min B, an environmentalist, 'a mental patient' when the latter heckled him at a public consultation on Bt brinjal in the city last week, demanding an overall discussion on genetic modification.
Jairam Ramesh was not available for comment.
