Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday said a memorial for victims of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy will be built at the former Union Carbide factory site, weeks after decades-old hazardous waste was cleared from the premises.

Yadav made the announcement during a visit to the Arif Nagar site, becoming the first chief minister of the state to enter the core area without wearing a safety mask. He said the memorial would be constructed after consulting all sections of society and under the guidance of the High Court.

The Union Carbide factory was the site of a methyl isocyanide (MIC) gas leak on the night of December 2–3, 1984, which killed thousands and left lakhs suffering lifelong health consequences. The disaster is widely regarded as the world’s worst industrial accident.

“The chemical waste lay there for nearly 40 years. Under the guidance of High Court, our government successfully disposed of the chemical waste without any environmental damage or human loss,” Yadav said.

“By taking all sections of society and affected parties into confidence, and under guidance of the High Court, we will now proceed to build a memorial for those who died in the Bhopal gas tragedy on this now-cleaned campus. The state government stands with all gas victims at every step and will spare no effort for their welfare,” he added.

During the visit, the chief minister also held discussions with officials from the Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation Department regarding the memorial’s construction.

Following the disposal of the hazardous waste, the state government is making arrangements for the development of the complex, alongside work on the Bhopal Metropolitan Area, Yadav said.

He pointed out that the disaster took place during the rule of the opposition party (referring to the Congress), adding the then government acted negligently and left the area unattended.

"They made no decision to remove the toxic waste from the factory and closed the factory to all after this horrific tragedy. Even during the UPA government's tenure at the Centre, nothing was done to develop this gas-affected area. The scene of deaths that Bhopal witnessed will never fade from our memories," he said.

The state government now has worked to remove this stigma from the capital, for which all affected parties, including the Gas Relief Department, deserve praise, Yadav added.

The then government helped Warren Anderson, the Union Carbide CEO at the time, to escape, Yadav said.

Rahul Gandhi must apologise to the nation for this, he added.

"Following court orders, our government disposed of Union Carbide's toxic waste last year. This also serves as a message to the world about how modern scientific methods can be used to dispose of toxic waste without causing environmental or human harm," he said.

While returning from the inspection of the Union Carbide factory premises, Yadav stopped his convoy at the request of a woman praying in Arif Nagar.

Those present for the visit included the CM's secretary Alok Kumar Singh, Public Relations Commissioner Deepak Kumar Saxena, Gas Relief Director Swatantra Kumar Singh, Municipal Commissioner Sanskriti Jain, among others.