The former external affairs minister, who released three dreaded terrorists to save 166 passengers on a hijacked Indian Airlines flight, said he would do it again.
NEW DELHI: Just a day after leader of opposition in Lok Sabha LK Advani was at the receiving end in the House for NDA government’s decision to release terrorists to rescue hostages of IC-814 in Kandahar, the then foreign minister Jaswant Singh proceeded to put his party in a spot by saying he would do it again.
Singh told a news channel on Wednesday that if he faced the same predicament as the Kandahar hijacking, he would take the same decision to free the hostages. “Of course, it was the right decision. I will do the same thing if such a situation arises in the future.
Being tough does not mean letting people die. Or else, the entire society and India should stand up and say we’re willing to accept it if 166 people die,” he said.
BJP parliamentary party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said the party is not supposed to comment on a hypothetical situation.
“Any decision would depend on the situation at the time,” Prasad said.
He said that while the party was in principle opposed to negotiations with hijackers, there could be situations where it could be necessary. As for the government’s decision at the time of Kandahar hijack drama, he said it was a decision taken at an all-party meeting.
Congress spokesman Manish Tiwari said: “If Singh does not consider wrong the action taken by the NDA government in succumbing to the blackmail of the terrorists and escorting Masood Azhar and his other colleagues to Kandahar, then I do not understand as to how India will be able to dispel this perception that it is firm in combating terrorism.
“Senior leaders of the Indian political system, irrespective of whichever party they come from, should speak in a responsible manner because it has ramifications not only in the country but also outside.”
It was Singh who, as external affairs minister in the NDA government, had taken three terrorists - including Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar - to Kandahar in a special plane and handed them over to the hijackers to rescue the 166 passengers held hostage.
Masood Azhar after his release formed Jaish-e-Mohammed, which carried out the attack on parliament in 2001.
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