The chairman of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s minorities’ front Tanveer Ahmed said here on Sunday that the Congress party has “acquired the distinction” of protecting the merchants of death (those responsible for the Union Carbide gas disaster) and Afzal Guru, who has been sentenced to death for the terror attack on Parliament.
Mr Ahmed was addressing mediapersons at the state BJP headquarters here. When asked what does he have to say on the state minister for gas tragedy relief and rehabilitation and former chief minister Babulal Gaur’s categorical statement that the Government of India, whether headed by the Congress party or the BJP, was continuously responsible on the gas tragedy front, Mr Ahmed said that Mr Gaur’s statement was in the context of gas relief and rehabilitation.
On being asked about the Ayodhya temple issue and its possible solution, he said that as a representative of the minorities, he endorses his party’s view that there should be an amicable solution acceptable to both sides. Nobody should try to take an upper hand when it comes to finding a solution to this vexed issue, he added.
Mr Ahmed said that the BJP has strengthened its base among the minorities and in states where his party is in power, the minorities are being treated as equal partners.
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Arjun remark misleading: Chouhan
AGE CORRESPONDENT
Bhopal
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday described senior Congress leader and former state chief minister Arjun Singh’s statement that he has nothing to do with the former Union Carbide Corporation chief Warren Anderson’s arrest and subsequent release after the 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster as irresponsible and misleading.
Mr Chouhan has taken Mr Singh head-on through a statement here on Sunday evening.
He said that one cannot expect such an irresponsible statement from a senior politician like Mr Singh. He has further said that the denial of any role in the administrative decision-making process as chief minister when it came to giving the state aircraft to Mr Anderson for a safe passage lacks credibility.
The chief minister has said that it would not be possible to do justice to the Bhopal gas victims till we do not unravel the truth about Mr Anderson’s release. Stating that it is a sensitive issue linked with the emotions of the gas victims, Mr Chouhan has asked Mr Singh to tell the truth to the people without further delay.