Anderson did not meet Zail Singh: Prez Secretariat

New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) Former Union Carbide Chief Warren
Anderson did not meet then President of India Giani Zail Singh
before he left for the United States after securing bail in
the case of Bhopal gas disaster that claimed over 15,000
lives.
Contrary to suggestions by some political leaders that
Anderson had met Zail Singh before he left for the US, the
Rashtrapati Bhavan has said that no such meeting had taken
place.
Replying to an RTI application seeking to know if
Anderson met the then President during December 6-8, 1984, the
secretariat said, "No".
Zail Singh had 11 appointments on December 6, 1984 which
included a delegation of government of Japan's economic
division comprising 60 people, the reply to RTI applicant
Abhishek Shukla said.
On the next day, when Anderson came to Delhi from Bhopal,
capital of central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh after
securing bail and went back to the United States, Singh had
nine appointments which did not include Anderson.
On December 8, 1984 which was Saturday, there was no
appointment lined up for the President.
The President's Secretariat could not trace any
condolence message of Giani Zail Singh issued in the aftermath
of the Bhopal tragedy.
Anderson came to India three days after leak of
poisonous gas Methyl Isocyanate that killed over 15,000 people
in the worst industrial disaster of the country.
He was arrested by the Madhya Pradesh Police and made an
accused in the case. Anderson managed to get bail from the
local court and was sent to Delhi in a state government plane
on December 7, 1984.
Then Chief Minister Arjun Singh has claimed that the
decision to let go Anderson was taken in the view of worsening
law and order situation in the disaster-hit city.
According to reports, Anderson had allegedly met Giani
Zail Singh before leaving the country. Close aide of the then
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Arun Nehru had also indicated in
his interviews that Anderson met the President.
In its reply, the secretariat expressed its inability to
give the details of procedure adopted in 1984 to give
appointment with the President saying "no records were
available" in this regard.
The RTI applicant had sought to know details of all the
visitors at Rashtrapati Bhavan who met Zail Singh during
December 6-8, 1984.
He had also asked if an individual named Warren Anderson
met the then President anytime during December 6-8, 1984 and
sought minutes of the meeting. The applicant had asked the
President's Secretariat the procedure of background check
adopted before giving appointment with the President. PTI ABS
MRD