Bangalore: Joining the raging debate on the
Bhopal gas tragedy, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan
today said it was improper to let Warren Anderson leave the
country in the aftermath of the disaster, but refused to blame
any Congress leader at this stage.
The senior CPI-M leader said allowing the then Union
Carbide Corporation chief to leave India and not arresting him
in the case was not correct.
Achuthanandan said Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily
has already made a statement saying the judiciary had diluted
the charges in the case and converted it to a section meant
for "car accident".
He said whatever the explanations (on the case) being
offered now (in various quarters after the verdict), it`s sad
that victims of the disaster, which claimed 15,000 lives,
could not get a "justified decision" in India.
Asked if the Congress was trying to make the then Madhya
Pradesh Chief Minister Arjun Singh a scapegoat with regards to
who sent Anderson out, Achuthanandan said there are rumours
that Singh allowed him to leave.
Also, it is said that it was the then Prime Minister
Rajiv Gandhi who did so, the Kerala CM added.
"But on these two things (whether it was Singh who
allowed Anderson to go or Gandhi) more proof is yet to
emerge. So, it`s not proper for me to comment on that right
now", Achuthanandan said.
Asked if he thought Army`s intervention was needed to
address the Naxal menace, Achuthanandan said it was for Home
Minister P Chidamabaram and Defence Minister A K Antony to
discuss the issue and arrive at an understanding.
PTI