Amidst a raging controversy over remarks on smoking by BJP MPs Shyam Charan Gupta and Dilip Gandhi, another BJP MP Ram Prasad Sarmah waded into the row, claiming there is no clear proof yet linking cigarette puffing and cancer. Sarmah, who is MP from Tezpur in Assam, is a member of the Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation, which is looking into the rules regarding tobacco sale in the country said that tobacco has medicinal values. He said, experts from different scientific fields should give proof to the committee that in the Indian environment tobacco causes cancer. Sarmah said, decision cannot be taken based on hearsay.