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Alleging that Indian Oil Corporation had concluded an agreement with Dow Chemicals for sharing of technology belonging to Union Carbide, various NGOs working for Bhopal gas victims on Friday called for boycotting IOC's products.
"The agreement might have been entered with Dow Chemicals which had taken over Union Carbide, but the technology for the mono-ethylene glycol plant belonged to the company responsible for death of over 20,000 people in Bhopal," activists working under the umbrella of 'International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal' alleged at a press conference in Bhopal.
The agreement took place for IOC's Panipat-based oil research unit despite requests against it to Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar in February, they claimed, adding that it was substantiated through claims that technology was cost-effective and the contract was with Dow Chemicals, not with Union Carbide.
Calling for the boycott, activists of Bhopal group of action, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karamchari Sangh and Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Evum Purush Sangharsh Morcha claimed support of several organisations including that of people from Aiyar's constituency in Tamil Nadu.
Vehicle rallies will be soon taken out in support of the call by motorcylists' club, madras bullets, and by 7,000 members of All India Van Drivers Association, they said.
They also condemned delay in removal of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory premises here and termed it as 'start of a new disaster.'