With questions being raised over the role of Arjun Singh who was Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister when Bhopal gas disaster struck, Congress on Wednesday said that those being held responsible should explain.
A senior party leader who declined to be identified said these matters needed to be clarified by those against whom questions are being raised.
At the AICC briefing, party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan remarked a cryptic "no comments" when asked why the state government headed by Singh had provided a state plane to former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson to fly from Bhopal to Delhi on December 7, 1984, three days after the gas leak.
"I do not want to be seen in a position defending Anderson," she said replying to another question. Natarajan ended the briefing saying "thank you" when asked by the reporters whether the party was "satisfied" over the role of Arjun Singh after the worst ever industrial disaster.
Singh had met party president Sonia Gandhi soon after the verdict, and has since not made any comment on the issue.
At the briefing, when asked whether the party was "acting as censor" and not allowing him to speak on the issue, Natarajan snapped "absolutely not".
While the Congress party continues to remain silent on Arjun Singh's role in allowing Warren Anderson to escape, former MP chief minister and general secretary Digvijaya Singh defended Arjun Singh.
He said, “The state government hardly had any role to play in this case. The case was being investigated by CBI, the compensation was decided by the judiciary. Warren Anderson going away could have been under American pressure.” PTI
