Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Arjun Singh on Wednesday handed out a clean chit to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the release of Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson who had been arrested immediately after landing in Bhopal after the gas tragedy of 1984. The senior Congress leader hinted at the role of the then Union home ministry headed by PV Narasimha Rao in the episode, saying that there were persistent calls from home ministry officials to grant bail to Anderson.

The former Union HRD minister, who chose to take part in the short duration discussion on the Bhopal gas tragedy in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, also said that the Prime Minister should take up the issue of Anderson’s extradition and payment of ?full and adequate compensation? to the victims with US President Barack Obama during his forthcoming India visit in November.

Singh’s clean chit to Rajiv Gandhi came as a big relief to the Congress party on the backfoot over the former Prime Minister’s role in Anderson’s release.

?The chief secretary informed me that there have been persistent calls for granting bail to Mr Anderson from home ministry officials in Delhi,? Singh said, speaking from the last bench on the treasury side. He was allowed the concession of making his speech while sitting due to health reasons. ?I told him that the arrest had to be duly recorded so that we could subsequently summon him and arraign him before the laws of the land. It is incongruous that he should have gone back on a state plane,? he added.

Pointing out that he ceased to be the CM of Madhya Pradesh on March 13, 1985, Singh said, ?I am not trying to escape anything. I wish I had remained in MP as CM. I would have seen to it that the likes of Warren Anderson, who think they can strut about fearlessly after plundering our motherland, are brought to justice.?

Singh also said that he had offered to step down as CM to Rajiv Gandhi despite the fact that he was not ?personally responsible?. ?By that time, my well wishers got active and made all the stories that we are hearing today,? he said.

Narrating the chain of events leading to Anderson’s arrest, Singh said, ?Somebody told me that Anderson was coming. I was amazed at the audacity of the person who was directly responsible because he knew what his factory was manufacturing. He could not be coming to share out grief because that is so unlikely for a bada sahib. made up my mind. As soon as he lands on Madhya Pradesh soil, he should be arrested?, he said.

?As soon as Anderson stepped out, Police SP Mr Puri escorted him in a car, told him he was in custody and was being taken to a rest-house. He kept asking, why is the Chief Minister not here to receive him. Look at the arrogance some people have,? Singh said, adding that it became his responsibility to see no physical or personal harm came to Anderson. ?I knew they would lynch him from the nearest airport,? Singh said about the crowd of angry people that had assembled outside the gates of the airport.

?I take full responsibility for having arrested Anderson… I don’t want to shift my blame on anybody. Whatever blame is due to me, I am ready to suffer it as a ordinary citizen. The clamour about my speaking out should now subside.?