August 12, 2010 7:40 PM

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Rajiv Gandhi had no role in Anderson’s safe passage: HM

The Home minister, P Chidambaram today strongly refuted the allegations that the former Union Caribde chief Warren Anderson was granted safe passage under US pressure. Replying to a short duration discussion on Bhopal gas disaster in the Rajya Sabha, he said that the statement made by the former foreign secretary M K Rasgotra points out that there was an understanding to grant safe passage to Anderson before he arrived in Bhopal.Basing his argument, on the statements made by the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Arjun Singh in the House yesterday, Mr Chidambaram said it has made amply clear that the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had no role in it. He asserted Arjun Singh has admitted that it was on his behest that Anderson was arrested and his statement has also made it clear that he was granted bail following intervention by some union home ministry officials. Mr Chidambaram, however, said there are no records available beyond this. The home minister said this is the reason more light can not be thrown on the issues regarding the safe passage to Anderson. He informed the House that the focus has to be on the future as 25 years have passed. The Home minister admitted that both the executive and the political class failed to take the case with seriousness in all these years and if any action was taken it was at the behest of judicial intervention. Keeping in view this fact, Mr Chidambaram said the Group of Ministers constituted after the judgement by a Bhopal court focussed on the future. He said a curative petition to seek the review of the Justice Ahmadi's order has been filed in the Supreme Court on second of this month.Giving details of the measures taken by the government, the Home minister said that plea has been made to fix the responsibility of liability on the companies involved once the decision is out no one will be allowed to go scot free. Dismissing opposition charges, he informed the House that the central bureau of investigation is preparing a fresh plea for the extradition of Anderson as more facts have come to light.Earlier, seeking clarifications from the Home minister the leader of the opposition, Arun Jaitely alleged that it is strange that neither the then CM of Madhya Pradesh nor the Prime Minister of the country were aware about how Anderson fled the country.Sitaram Yechury of CPI(M) raised the issue of reopening the cases of Bhopal gas victims and the medical aid being provided to them. Satyabrata Chaturvedi of ruling Congress wanted to know whether government is preparing any comprehensive plan to deal with such unforeseen tragedies . Our parliamentary correspondent reports both the Houses had a detailed discussion on the issue after the opposition alleged the government adopted a soft approach to deal with the case. The ruling combine charged the opposition benches of politicising the issue.

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