SPORTS
The Olympic body reaffirmed its stand rejecting calls from the Indian Government to drop the chemical company as sponsor of the London Games.
Reaffirming its stand, the International Olympic Committee today rejected calls from the Indian Government to drop Dow Chemical as sponsor of the London Games because of its links to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.
In a letter addressed to Rahul Bhatnagar, joint secretary in the Sports Ministry, the IOC said that while it appreciated Government's concern for the victims of tragedy, Dow Chemicals neither owned or operated the plant at the time of the Bhopal gas leak disaster.
The letter was written by Pere Miro, Director, NOC Relations, IOC in response to a communication sent by Bhatnagar on February 24 to the IOC President Jacques Rogge, seeking Dow's removal as Olympic sponsor.
"I am writing to you in reference to your letter dated February 24, 2012 concerning the IOC's and LOCOG's partnerships with Dow. The IOC recognises that the Bhopal tragedy in 1984 was a horrific event for India and the world. The Olympic Movement sympathises with the grief of the victims' families, and regrets the ongoing suffering people face in the region," the letter said.
"The IOC has taken on board the opinions raised by different groups you mention in your letter, but let us assure you we only enter into partnerships with organisations that we believe work in accordance with the values of the Olympic Movement.
"Dow is a global leader in its field of business and is committed to good corporate citizenship. We thank you for your letter, understand your concerns and appreciate the difficult situation you are facing in your country," the letter added.
Miro further wrote that the IOC and LOCOG were aware of the Bhopal tragedy when discussing the partnership with Dow.
"The Dow did not have any ownership stake in Union Carbide until 16 years after the accident and 12 years after the USD 470 million compensation agreement was approved by the Indian Supreme Court. The court has upheld that agreement twice since the, in 1991 and 2007.
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...