National

Advani: no idea of Jaswant taking terrorists to Kandahar

New Delhi: Even as the 1999 Kandahar hijack drama continues to haunt the Bharatiya Janata Party, its prime ministerial nominee L.K. Advani says he had no idea that the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh was accompanying the terrorists on the flight to the Afghan town.

The BJP-led NDA government had to release three terrorists in return for the safety of the 160-odd Indian Airlines passengers held hostage on board IC 814 in December 1999. Mr. Singh accompanied the terrorists including Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Mohammad Azhar.

Mr. Advani, who was Home Minister during the Kandahar crisis, said the decision was taken in consultation with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Asked by NDTV in its “Walk the Talk” programme whether Mr. Jaswant Singh going on the plane was his own decision, Mr. Advani said: “I wouldn’t say I would know that. He must have consulted Vajpayeeji, but it was not an issue at all and this issue was also raised by many others many months later.”

But in this country, would an External Affairs Minister himself escort militants?

He was not escorting, he was trying to bring back the passengers. But I don’t think that I am answerable for that, if the committee on security had taken a decision.

You were not consulted on this?

I don’t know about it.

So when did you get to know he (Jaswant Singh) went on the plane?

I came to know when he was going. — PTI

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