‘Allegations surrounding Anderson fleeing India to be investigated’

June 10, 2010 04:51 pm | Updated November 09, 2016 05:02 pm IST - New Delhi

Activists in Kozhikode protest against the verdict in the Bhopal Gas tragedy case on Thursday. The government has said the Group of Ministers would look into allegations that the then chief of Union Carbide was assisted in fleeing the country.

Activists in Kozhikode protest against the verdict in the Bhopal Gas tragedy case on Thursday. The government has said the Group of Ministers would look into allegations that the then chief of Union Carbide was assisted in fleeing the country.

Amid questions over how under fire ex-Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson fled India, the Government on Thursday said the Group of Ministers (GoM) set up to investigate the Bhopal gas tragedy will look into all aspects of the incident and the facts would be presented before the nation.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni sought to play down allegations by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh that Anderson was helped in escaping the country.

She told reporters "nobody is being indicted by anybody" in the matter.

"The GoM will examine whatever happened," Ms. Soni said, when mediapersons repeatedly referred to allegations that Anderson had been deliberately allowed to escape the country.

"No fact will be hidden," she insisted.

The minister said, "Any communication which conclusively proves a point will then be taken up at the appropriate forum. The government, on its part, has not failed to put in place a mechanism. Whatever facts that come to light will be considered and studied by the GoM."

On allegations about U.S. pressure, she maintained that the union government was under no pressure from anybody and it was working in a "transparent" manner.

"In the last five years, there has been no pressure from any quarter on the UPA government. There has been no pressure from any country or government," Ms. Soni said.

On the quantum of punishment in the 1984 case, the Minister said there was "no denying" the fact that people were agitated over it, which is why the GoM had been set up.

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