London 2012 Olympics: David Cameron backs Dow Chemical's sponsorship of Games Human rights groups including Amnesty International maintain that Dow Chemical has a moral and legal responsibility to Bhopal but last week a senior Dow executive George Hamilton told Telegraph Sport that the issue of responsibility falls directly with the Indian government and another company, the battery giant Eveready. There are four ongoing court proceedings in India and the United States surrounding the issues. But the heavyweight intervention of Mr Cameron has stalled political maneuverings in the UK to agitate for the removal of Dow Chemical from its involvement in the London Olympics. He said Dow Chemical didn't own Union Carbide at the time of the disaster and the sponsorship was arranged by the IOC. Speaking to Indian television station CNN-IBN, Mr Cameron said: "Of course I understand the anger there is... The huge suffering that happened at Bhopal and afterwards, and in fact my heart still goes out to all those who suffered from that appalling tragedy. I can remember as a young man reading about that and being profoundly shocked by what happened. But I think we do have to recognise two important points. First is that Dow was not the owner of Union Carbide at the time, so this is a different company and a different business. Secondly and more importantly, the sponsorship of Dow for the Olympics is arranged and done by the International Olympic Committee. It is their decision-making process. That is the case. And I don't criticise their decision-making process. The Indian interviewer Karan Thapar pressed Mr Cameron that this would be an ideal opportunity for Dow to recognise responsibility, despite their embarrassment and queried why Dow had set aside £1.27 billion for asbestos damages for a Union Carbide factory in Texas but none for Bhopal were so many died. But Mr Cameron said it was up to people to make their own decisions and choices. "What I am saying is the British Prime Minister wants to see the Olympics be successful," he said. I am wanting to see the Olympics not used for industrial or political or other purposes. I cannot see a problem with the IOC being sponsored by Dow. Any successor company has a moral responsibility of course but the London Olympics is about athletes coming to compete. Dow is a reputable company. To conflate these issues is wrong.