Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh government on Sunday
termed as a "bundle of lies" the statement of former Chief
Minister Arjun Singh that he had no "locus standi" on the
issue of safe passage provided to then UCC Chairman Warren
Anderson.
"The much-awaited statement of Singh that he has no locus
standi on the release of Warren Anderson is nothing but a
bundle of lies and no one, including the political parties,
will believe it," spokesman Narottam Mishra, also the
Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said in a statement.
Mishra claimed that senior Congress leaders were issuing
contradictory statements and creating confusion on a sensitive
issue like the Bhopal gas tragedy. "In the public interest the
truth behind these contradictory statements should come out."
The Minister said Singh`s statement that he had no role
in the escape of Anderson is not acceptable and it appears
that he had issued such a statement under some pressure.
It has been established that an official plane was
provided to Anderson to take him to New Delhi and that he was
released "with full respect" by the authorities. Therefore,
how it is possible that the then Chief Minister was not aware
of such important decisions of the state, the statement said.
Today, the major challenge before the state government is
to extradite Anderson to India and it wanted the Centre to
play a positive role in it, it said.
"I have no locus standi on this issue," Singh, who was
the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh when the Bhopal Gas
tragedy occurred was quoted as saying in a newspaper, breaking
his two-week long silence on Anderson`s exit.
PTI
