Mahindra only paying lip service to gas victims: Jabbar

BHOPAL: A day after former Union Carbide India chairman Keshub Mahindra said he wanted to do "something concrete" for the 1984 gas tragedy victims, a prominent NGO working for the affected people today dubbed his statement as mere "lip service".

"We are both hurt and angered by Mahindra's statement which does not amount to anything as he is only paying lip service to the gas victims," Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan convenor Abdul Jabbar said.

"The disaster took place more than 25 years ago and till date Mahindra has not done anything to help the victims... No one in Bhopal has ever stopped Mahindra from doing anything for the gas victims and if he was serious he could have done a lot by now," he said.

After getting bail from a local court yesterday, 86-year- old Mahindra had said he wanted to do some work for the gas victims. "I have been saying for last 20 years that it is my desire to do something concrete for the gas victims," he had said.

Mahindra, who got the relief five days after he was granted conditional bail, also said instead of spending time on legal matters one should help people of Bhopal.