The Maharashtra government on Tuesday told the Bombay High Court that it had not yet decided on taking any action against the production and sale of cigarettes and beedis over a possible link between smoking and Covid-19, and said it was not against manufacturers.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, who appeared for the state government, told the High Court that following his previous submissions over a possible link between smoking and severity of the Covid-19 infection, several manufacturers had written to the state government denying the connection. "Some of them (manufacturers) are thinking that the government is opposed to them.