Click to play videoNew Delhi: Despite protests by anti-Dow activists and resignation of the Ethics panel chief, the organisers of the London Olympic Games have refused to terminate their sponsorship deal with the company.
Organising Committee chief executive Paul Deighton has said that Dow will stay as the Olympic sponsor. In fact the committee went to say that the responsibility to clean up the Bhopal site lies with the Indian government. This, despite a verbal complaint filed by the Indian high commission in London.
On Friday, Meredith Alexander, who is one of 12 commissioners of the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 watchdog, resigned from her post, citing concerns about Dow's relationship with the company responsible for the 1984 gas disaster.
The focus is shifting now from moral to procedural matters. After Alexander's resignation, senior Labour party figures such as Keith Vaz and Tessa Jowell (shadow Olympics minister) have also called for an audit of the process by which Dow Chemical was awarded the sponsorship.
Earlier on Friday, the Vice-President of the Indian Olympic association, Tarlochan Singh, welcomed the resignation of a London 2012 Olympics Commissioner Meredith Alexander, as she quit her role in protest at Dow Chemical's sponsorship of the Olympic stadium wrap.
Meanwhile, there are more voices from the UK that are supporting India's campaign against Dow being the Games sponsor.
"It's now clear that no proper investigation and assessment of Dow's suitability went on that means they must now cancel the contract. The Indian government and Indian MPs are naturally hesitant to interfere in what is the domestic affairs of another sovereign nation. That is simply a matter of respect but I do believe that now that Meredith Alexander has resigned, that they should write to the British government and make it very clear that Dow should be kicked out of the Olympic sponsorship deal," British Labour Party politician Barry Gardiner said.
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