Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan paid tribute to the victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy while
refusing to comment on the election results of the BJP.
“This is not the time to speak on these
things (election results),” CM Chouhan said, as the party is set to retain the
government in the State.
Speaking to the media after paying
floral tributes to the victims of the gas tragedy in Bhopal, CM Chouhan said, “When
we remember the accident on the night of 2-3 December, we get nightmares.”
The Bhopal gas tragedy, touted as the
world’s worst industrial disaster, had claimed the lives of several thousand
people after deadly gas leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide
plant on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984.
The tragedy unfolded in Bhopal, Madhya
Pradesh, when the highly dangerous and toxic gas, methyl isocyanate (MIC),
escaped from the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) and resulted in the death
of 5,295 human beings, injuries to almost 5,68,292 persons besides loss of
livestock.
“Such a tragedy should never be
repeated. To make sure of this, there should be a balance between development
and the environment. I pay my tributes to the victims of this tragedy,” CM Chouhan
added.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) seems to have taken a comfortable lead in Madhya Pradesh as per the
latest trends of the Election Commission of India.
BJP is ahead in 133 out of 199 seats
while Congress is at 52 as per the latest trend of the poll body at 10:11 am.
The counting of votes of Assembly
elections in Madhya Pradesh began at 8 am on Sunday.
The Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections
were held on November 17, to elect all 230 members of the Madhya Pradesh
Legislative Assembly. Voting was carried out in a single phase.
In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP and the
Indian National Congress (INC) stand as the primary political forces. However,
the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Mayawati and the Samajwadi Party (SP) also
hold significance in the State’s political landscape.
ANI
