GoM to examine all issues related to Bhopal tragedy: Govt

Amid questions over how the then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson fled India, government today said the group of ministers (GoM) set up on the Bhopal gas tragedy issue will look into all aspects related to the incident and 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 from the country.

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

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

"No fact will be hidden," she insisted.

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

On allegations about the US 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," Soni said.

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