India wants 'Bhopal Dow" out of London Olympics

The Sports Ministry on Monday asked the Indian Olympic Association to immediately raise the Dow Chemicals’ Olympics sponsorship issue with the International Olympics Committee.

In a letter addressed to the IOA, the ministry said, “Strong public sentiment exists in this matter and a number of ex-Olympians have raised the issue.”

Dow Chemicals, which is one of the sponsors of the London 2012 Olympics, had bought Union Carbide -the company responsible for the Bhopal gas tragedy that killed over 15000 people and maimed lakhs.

The victims of the tragedy are demanding that India pull out of the Games if Dow continues to be the sponsor of the event.

The issue has already drawn much attention with celebrities citing the "appalling" rights record of Dow Chemicals and appealing to the Organisers of the London Olympic Games to drop the US company as a sponsor of the prestigious sports event.