Accusing former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Arjun Singh of not being truthful about the circumstances leading to the release of then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson in his intervention in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday alleged that the Congress leader probably took such a long time to speak because he was mulling over who to frame and who to let go.
?Had it been the truth it would have come out immediately,? the chief minister said, adding that the delay itself had created a suspicion.
Referring to Arjun Singh?s assertion that he was not aware how the former Union Carbide chief flew out in a state plane, Chouhan said he personally went through the logbook and found that the facts were otherwise.
?Special flight ordered by the CM,?? Chouhan said quoting the logbook entry that also mentions the take-off time (15.15 pm) and the landing time in Delhi besides the names of the pilot (Ali Hasan) and an engineer.
?No state plane goes without the CM?s clearance,?? he said, adding that it would have been impossible for officers to keep the chief minister in the dark about the matter. Chouhan also found it difficult to accept Singh?s claim about officials in the Union home ministry directing the MP chief secretary to release Anderson.
?He was not only chief minister of MP but also a senior Congress leader. No chief minister would have released Anderson without first speaking to the Prime Minister who in turn would have spoken to the Union home minister on why he was being released,?? Chouhan said.
Referring to Singh?s claim that Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi did not utter a word when told about Anderson?s arrest, Chouhan said the PM could not have been so insensitive to simply say, ?let?s move to the next rally.?
?If he is taking credit for arresting Anderson then he should also accept the shame that goes with his release,? Chouhan taunted the former MP chief minister while asking him to come clean because it was not ?a personal issue? but involved 15,000 persons dead and five lakh survivors.
The MP chief minister parried a question on whether Singh?s latest statement would be considered by the panel set up by the government to probe the tragedy and its aftermath, saying the terms of reference were still being finalised.