NDTV reports today that organisations working on behalf of the Bhopal Disaster survivors will campaign against the ruling BJP (Bhartiya Janata Party) local government for two assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh.
The NDTV report says that:
“They (the survivors’ organisations) alleged that the ruling party has failed to resolve the issue of compensation to those who suffered in the world’s worst industrial disaster.
The five organisations fighting for the rights of the gas victims told reporters that they will raise their issues during the campaign for the Mungaoli and Kolaras Assembly seats bypolls slated this month, and also during the state elections due later this year.
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh president Rashida Bee said they would highlight the alleged false promises made by BJP leaders regarding compensation to the industrial disaster victims in their voter education programme ahead of the bypolls.
“We plan to share copies of official documents with the electorate in the two areas to substantiate our allegations of betrayal by the BJP leaders,” she said.
“The by-elections will be our first step in making the long pending issues of the gas disaster a part of the state polls later this year and the general elections next year,” she further said.
“We hope to provide a critical edge to ensure the defeat of BJP in Mungaoli and Kolaras,” Rashida Bee added.
Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha’s Balkrishna Namdeo said the BJP’s campaign in the by-election mostly rests on the promises made by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
“Our strategy is to present facts on the government’s betrayal of the promises on compensation to the six lakh victims of the disaster,” he said.
Bhopal Group for Information and Action’s Satinath Sarangi said they will not align with any political party and seek public support for their campaign resources.
The by elections were necessitated following the death of the sitting Congress MLAs Mahendra Singh Kalukheda (from Mungaoli) and Ram Singh Yadav (Kolaras). The elections will take place on February 24 with the count due by February 28th.
