This story is from April 4, 2015

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has come out in support of larger pictorial warnings on tobacco products, according to Times Now.

The Prime Minister has directed Union health ministry to sanction 60-65% pictorial warnings ignoring the recommendations of a parliamentary panel, the news channel reported quoting sources.

According to reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also discussed the issue of conflict of interest in the parliamentary panel with senior leaders. The PM wants the leaders with conflict of interest out of the panel.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley , speaking to reporters in Bengaluru where BJP is holding its national executive, stressed on the need to reduce consumption of tobacco.

Arun Jaitley dismissed the comments made by some BJP MPs favouring tobacco industry as 'individual opinions'.

"The collective thinking of the government on this issue is reflected in the two budgets that I have presented," Arun Jaitley said.

However, when questioned by reporters about the party's stand on the issue of conflict of interest, the finance minister avoided a direct reply and said it is for Parliament to decide.

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At least three BJP leaders had in the last few days come out with statements in support of the tobacco lobby claiming that there was no scientific evidence to show that smoking causes cancer.

The health ministry had put on hold its decision to carry bigger pictorial warnings on cigarette and other tobacco product packages from April 1 this year.

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The move came in the wake of an interim report from a parliamentary committee on subordinate legislation seeking more time from the government to hear all stakeholders and keeping the decision to implement bigger warnings in abeyance until it submits its final report.

The committee, headed by BJP MP from Maharashtra Dilip M Gandhi, is looking into the proposed amendments to the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2008.

Read this in Hindi: सिगरेट पैकेटों पर बड़ी चेतावनी चाहते हैं मोदी