New York: Dow Chemical, the owner of Union Carbide factory in Bhopal from which toxic gas leaked killing thousands of people in 1984, has said it does not have any liability for the tragedy, a spokesman for the victims claimed.

Dow Chemical said it does not have any liability, criminal or other, arising out of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak tragedy, which killed thousands and affected many others, the victims' spokesman Satinath Sarangi said over phone, quoting the company's top executives after a meeting with them.

The company also said it was not responsible for cleaning up the site of the plant, which leaked the deadly gas and that rested with the Indian government, Sarangi claimed.

A delegation, which included two women survivors of the gas tragedy, met officials of Dow Chemical including its chairman William Stavropoulos after a meeting of its shareholders on May 8, he said.

As Dow Chemical now owned Union Carbide, it was responsible for what had happened at the plant and must also clean up the site in terms of the provision of the lease Carbide had signed with the government, the delegation said, but their demand was rejected. Any comment from the company was not immediately available.

Sarangi said they were disappointed by the attitude of the executives of Dow Chemical, who said they had knowledge about the tragedy, but did not consider the company liable for it. No criminal cases have been filed by the Indian government, the Company officials were quoted as saying.

PTI