During the procession commemorating the 41st anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy on Wednesday, an effigy caused a stir. The BJP alleged that the effigy resembled an RSS 'volunteer', leading the police to file an FIR against the organizers for allegedly inciting religious discord and unrest.
A group of BJP supporters claimed that the participants in the march were planning to burn effigies of Dow Chemical, the current owner of Union Carbide, along with the effigy representing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The march, organized by four NGOs representing victims of one of the world's worst industrial disasters, began at Bhopal's Bharat Talkies. However, it was halted due to the controversy.
The procession aimed to proceed via the city's bus stand to the now-defunct Union Carbide pesticide factory near JP Nagar to a memorial where demonstrators planned to burn effigies.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Rakesh Singh Baghel stated that a complaint was received regarding the display of an effigy resembling a worker from another organization alongside the Dow Company effigy. Following confirmation of the complaint, the contentious effigy was seized and removed from the procession as it was deemed objectionable by some.
The police official warned of strict action should any attempts be made to incite controversy during the march.
Activists Deny Allegations
Organizations representing the victims refuted the allegations, stating that the effigies they had prepared depicted individuals responsible for the 1984 tragedy, not any group or organization.
Rachna Dhingra from the Bhopal Group for Information and Action (BGIA), one of the groups involved in organizing the march, explained that one effigy represented Dow Chemical, which acquired Union Carbide years after the disaster, while the other represented a person associated with the American multinational company.
Source: aajtak
She outrightly dismissed the claims of burning an effigy depicting the ideological mentor RSS. An FIR was filed against the organization's activists, following the complaint by BJP leader Ashish Singh Thakur.
The case was registered against Dhingra, Sarita Gupta, and Balakrisna Namdev, representing organizations working for the victims of the gas tragedy.
Complainant BJP Mandal President Ashish Singh Thakur alleged that the demonstrators carried an effigy symbolic of RSS alongside the effigy of Union Carbide's former CEO Warren Anderson, with the intention to burn it.
He stated, "Their act has hurt our sentiments and appears to be an attempt to disrupt communal harmony and peace in the area."
Dhingra accused the central public sector undertakings of having business ties with Dow Chemical in her statement. She claimed, "Over the last 11 years, government undertakings have played a significant role in expanding Dow Chemical's business in India. PSUs like Indian Oil Corporation, GAIL, Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation supply raw materials to Dow's factories."
Dhingra claimed that several of these PSUs also purchase intellectual property from Union Carbide under Dow, which is prohibited by law.
Recall that in the midnight hours of December 2-3, 1984, a massive leak of highly toxic methyl isocyanate gas from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal claimed at least 5,479 lives and left thousands disabled.
Minister Denies Political Motives
As is the custom each year post-tragedy, an all-religion prayer meeting was held in Bhopal's 'Barkatullah Bhavan', attended by Madhya Pradesh Tribal Welfare Minister Vijay Shah. He refused to comment on the effigy row and allegations concerning organizations working for gas victims, stating it was not a day for political discourse.
The BJP government minister said, "Today is not a day for accusations and counter-accusations. Our government has eradicated the fear of toxic waste from people's minds. Today is not about politics."
His party colleague and state minister Krishna Gaur mentioned that even 41 years later, the wounds from the gas tragedy remain in the victim families, and this causes them pain.
She added, "We pray to God that such a tragedy never happens again." On Monday, organizations representing gas tragedy victims accused the ruling BJP of denying them justice and prolonging their suffering, which the BJP denied.
