Congress, BJP must accept moral responsibility on Bhopal issue: CPI

The CPI today asked Congress and BJP to accept moral responsibility on the Bhopal issue, saying the two parties in power at the Centre and in Madhya Pradesh could have asked the CBI to strengthen the case and provide succour to the victims.

It also asked the government not to succumb to American "pressures" on the Bhopal issue, saying Washington was  showing "double standards" in compensating victims of man-made disasters and cautioned that India should not fall into the US "trap" by enacting the civil nuclear liability bill.

While the Congress was in power at the Centre and in the state in 1984 when the disaster took place, the BJP was also in power at the Centre earlier and even now in the state, CPI national secretary D Raja told PTI in New Delhi.

"Both these parties should own up moral responsibility and no longer deceive the nation and the people. BJP, which is now
shouting hoarse on the issue, is equally guilty," he said.

The two parties "could have directed the CBI to pursue the case with all seriousness and strengthen it by gathering all evidence. Do they want to deceive the nation with regard to their role in the entire Bhopal tragedy?" he asked.

On the American role, he said, "The US has shown double standards by ensuring a high compensation to its citizens who have fallen victim to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and something else for others, as reflected in the Bhopal gas disaster".

Reiterating the Left opposition to the nuclear liability bill, he asked "why should India fall into this trap? Government should draw a lesson from the Bhopal verdict and not succumb to US pressures".

The CPI leader also demanded creation of a mechanism to ensure liability and justice to the gas disaster victims.