New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Breaking his silence over the Bhopal gas tragedy, senior Congress leader and then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Arjun Singh Wednesday said he had personally ordered the arrest of Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson.

‘I personally briefed the officers (about) the decision to arrest Anderson,’ Singh said while participating in a discussion on the Bhopal gas tragedy in the Rajya Sabha.

He said he had also given the orders in writing to the officials.

Arjun Singh said the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was on tour when he initially telephoned the Prime Minister’s Office.

He said he had offered to step down as chief minister when Gandhi visited Bhopal Dec 6, 1984.

‘But Rajivji turned down the offer. He said providing relief to the affected should be the priority,’ Arjun Singh said.

New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) Breaking his silence over the Bhopal gas tragedy, senior Congress leader and then Madhya Pradesh chief minister Arjun Singh Wednesday said he had personally ordered the arrest of Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson.

‘I personally briefed the officers (about) the decision to arrest Anderson,’ Singh said while participating in a discussion on the Bhopal gas tragedy in the Rajya Sabha.

He said he had also given the orders in writing to the officials.

Arjun Singh said the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was on tour when he initially telephoned the Prime Minister’s Office.

He said he had offered to step down as chief minister when Gandhi visited Bhopal Dec 6, 1984.

‘But Rajivji turned down the offer. He said providing relief to the affected should be the priority,’ Arjun Singh said.