Bhopal gas tragedy: US should extradite Warren Anderson, says NGO

BHOPAL: In the wake of arrest of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, an NGO working for the cause of victims of 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy today demanded that the US should extradite Warren Anderson, former chairman of the Union Carbide Corporation.

Anderson is the prime accused in the Bhopal gas leak case. Abdul Jabbar, convener of Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sanghatan, said India should learn from the US government which was sticking to its guns even after giving humiliating treatment to Indian Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade on trivial charges.

"On the other hand, our government not only released Anderson, the prime accused in Bhopal gas case (in 1984), but also apologised for arresting him here at the time," Jabbar said, speaking at a protest organised by gas tragedy victims here.

Local court has declared Anderson as an absconder and an arrest warrant was pending against him since March 1992, he pointed out, saying that the Centre did not bring him to the country on the pretext that it would jeopardise the relations between the two countries and hit the foreign investment.

The gas tragedy victims burnt effigies of US and Indian governments at the Yaadgar-e-Shahjahani Park in old city area here in protest over Anderson issue.