Congress core group meets to discuss Bhopal gas tragedy issue

The Congress core group chaired by party president Sonia Gandhi met here this evening after the party was hemmed in by attacks from within and outside on the Bhopal gas tragedy issue.

The over hour-long meeting was attended by prime minister
Manmohan Singh, finance minster Pranab Mukherjee, home
minister P Chidambaram, defence minister AK Antony and Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel.

However, what transpired in the meeting was not immediately known as top party leaders remained tight-lipped on the deliberations.

Earlier, a party leader had indicated that a view could be firmed up at the meeting on the controversial issue, after which an explanation could be offered to various questions being raised over the handling of the case.

The party in its official press briefing today skirted a number of questions on the issue, saying the group of ministers constituted by the prime minister will do whatever needs to be done in this regard.

A top party leader also sought to distance itself from the controversy saying a lot of issues being raised had nothing to do with Congress and only the government can be in a position to answer these questions.

Questions have been raised as to why the government did not go in for an appeal when charges were diluted by the Supreme Court against the accused in 1997 and how and why the former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson was provided a state aircraft to fly out of Bhopal.