The Government put a moratorium on the introduction of BT Brinjal in the country. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the Union Environment and Forests Minister, Mr. Jairam Ramesh said that there was no clear consensus among the scientists and stake-holders on giving clearance to Bt Brinjal and more studies are needed to be conducted. <br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports, the decision came after the minister conducted a series of public consultations in seven cities across the country where a number of state governments, including Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh, had publicly opposed the introduction of Bt Brinjal.<br/><br/>Quite in contrast to success story of BT Cotton, India's controversial Bt Brinjal saga has been a prickly issue confronting its agriculture when emotions ran high before the Government put the brakes.<br/><br/>And never since the days of the Green Revolution in the 1970s has a food crop aroused the curiosity of the Agriculture community as much as the country's first genetically modified vegetable.<br/><br/>The contentions now are likely to fizzle out with the decision of moratorium over the genetically modified food crop.<br/><br/>Calls were even given for protest fasts while chaos, anger, repartees and some scientific reasoning marked the public hearings across seven cities with the environment minister facing attacks from groups supporting and opposing the crop variety prompting him to hit back at them in a public display of anger.<br/><br/>Mr. Ramesh said that the moratorium period will be used to have a detailed discussion in Parliament and also a comprehensive debate in the National Development Council on the issue.