The International Olympic Committee has informed India's Sports Ministry that it will not ask Dow Chemical to pullback its sponsorship for the London 2012 Games.

The Organisisng Committee for the London Olympics 2012 has said that Dow Chemicals will remain as a sponsor for the mega sporting event that will be held in the British Capital this year.

The Sports Ministry had written to the IOC following several letters from the Indian Olympic Association asking the London organizers to drop Dow as a sponsor for the event this year.

The chief executive of London Olympics Organisisng Committee (Locog) suggested that the responsibility for cleaning Bhopal, which was the site of the major industrial accident, rests with the authorities in India. IOC has replied to the latest letter in a similar way to earlier letters. It said that Dow neither owned nor operated the Union Carbide plant at the time of the disaster in Bhopal.

Dow is to fund a high-tech "wrap" around the stadium. There have been protests against ht involvement of the company in the event, which is aiming to be most sustainable Games ever.

LOCOG has already pointed out that the company's name will not be seen on the wrap during the Games or on five 'test' panels. Dow now owns Union Carbide, whose plant situated in Bhopal saw a major accident leaking pesticide gas in the city and killing tens of thousands of people. The accident is remembered as the world's worst industrial accident.

Dow argues that all the liabilities for the disaster were paid for following Union Carbide's settlement with the Indian government.