Attack on Arjun Singh growing on Bhopal issue

“In the statement itself,I had clarified that I was campaigning and really don’t know the events which led to the bail and release of Mr Anderson,” Digvijay Singh said in an email response to PTI from the US where he is currently on a tour.

He said the ‘people who can answer this’ are “Arjun Singhji,the then CM” as also Brahm Swaroop,the then Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh,Moti Singh,the then Collector of Bhopal,and Swaraj Puri,the then SP of Bhopal.

On the action taken by then Central government and Madhya Pradesh government,Digvijay Singh said he could not “sit on judgement”.

He said Rajiv Gandhi had left his campaign and visited Bhopal immediately,visiting the affected areas and meeting the families of affected persons.

“The government of India extended all possible help immediately to the state government,” Digvijay Singh said.

Echoing Digvijay Singh’s views,R K Dhawan,Private Secretary to Rajiv Gandhi,said Arjun Singh was the “only person who can answer” how Anderson left the country.

He said he did not believe that Rajiv Gandhi would have known about the developments or asked Arjun Singh to provide the airport to Anderson by which he flew out of Bhopal.

Joining the attack on Arjun Singh from within,Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also asked him to explain the circumstances in which Anderson left.

“Let Arjun Singh explain it. Whether he did it (gave permission for providing state aircraft) himself or anybody told him to do so. We want a reply from him if a wrong direction was given. And after all,why such a direction was given,” said Chouhan,who has already written a letter in this regard to Arjun Singh.