The 41st anniversary of the Bhopal gas tragedy was supposed to be a peaceful day of remembrance. But on Wednesday, a rally organised by gas victims’ groups turned into a heated political clash after workers from the RSS and BJP confronted the marchers over an effigy carried during the event.

Every year, survivors of the 1984 disaster hold a remembrance rally to demand justice, better compensation, and strict action against Union Carbide and Dow Chemical, the companies linked to the tragedy. This year’s rally started from Bharat Talkies underbridge and was headed towards the JP Nagar Gas Memorial. The march was meant to highlight the long-pending issues of rehabilitation and legal action against the companies responsible.

However, trouble began when gas victims’ organisations carried an effigy that was meant to symbolise Union Carbide, Dow Chemical, and other companies connected to the disaster. RSS and BJP workers stopped the rally, alleging that the effigy looked like an “RSS worker” and claimed it hurt their sentiments. They accused the organisers of intentionally trying to provoke them and called the act “anti-national.”

The gas victims’ groups strongly denied these accusations. They clarified that the effigy represented the companies responsible for the gas tragedy, not any organisation, religion, or political group. They accused the ruling BJP government of protecting Dow Chemical and not taking real action to punish those responsible for the disaster. According to them, the objections raised by RSS and BJP supporters were politically motivated and meant to divert attention from their demands.

As the argument between both sides grew louder, police officers stepped in. To prevent the situation from worsening, they seized the effigy. The police did not issue any detailed statement and only tried to maintain peace on the spot.

Even after the effigy was taken away, RSS and BJP workers demanded that a case be filed against the organisers, alleging that “anti-national activities” were being carried out in the name of the rally. They claimed the depiction in the effigy was a deliberate attempt to provoke them.