Manish Sisodia for total ban on import of manja

Demanding a complete ban on the import of “killer Chinese manja”, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Monday alleged that the Central government was hand in glove with the “manja mafia”, which claimed three lives in the national capital recently.

“The Central government is bringing Chinese manja in the country by working with the Chinese mafia. Due to this, several deaths were reported throughout the country and in Delhi. Several birds have also been injured. We can impose a ban in the city but the larger solution is banning its import throughout,” Mr Sisodia said in the Delhi Assembly during a discussion on the sharp imported Chinese manja.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the deputy CM questioned the compulsions under which he had to grant permission to import the killer Chinese manja. “Is it because he had to enjoy a swing ride with the Chinese President near the river bank,” Mr Sisodia said taking a dig at Mr Modi and President Xi Jinping’s sitting on a swing on the bank of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad in September 2014.

The session was rocked by stormy scenes with allegations and counter-allegations by the ruling party legislators and the Opposition. Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta, held the Delhi government responsible for the deaths that occurred on August 15 as it delayed issuing a notification banning the sale of Chinese manja in the city. Admitting that there was a delay in issuing the draft notification banning the sale, storage and manufacture of Chinese manja in the capital, the Mr Sisodia said that he had written to lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung demanding action against the erring officials. Countering his claims, Mr Gupta said the government deliberately delayed the process of issuing draft notification on the ban.

“The government has showed laxity in imposing the ban,” Mr Gupta said.