Advani and Kandahar Hijack Episode

Advani claims to be too strong and a decisive leader. Till date he made many flip-flops on  Kandahar plane hijack issue and the role played by him as the then union home minister. He doesn't even mind to embarrass his old cabinet colleagues to disown a collective decision taken by the cabinet . All in the name of "I am hard against terror" posturing. Where was Advani during the crucial hours of plane hijack if he was not aware of the decision of Cabinet Committee on Security? The CCS decided to release three dreaded terrorists including Masood Azhar (who went on to form Jaish-e-Muhammad, the jihadist outfit accused of carrying many terror strikes including the one on Indian parliament). The decisive home minister was not even aware of the cabinet decision? Then what is he up to now?

From News Archives:

*Advani was part of the Decision: Jaswant Singh

"In remarks that are at variance with those of L.K. Advani, senior BJP leader Jaswant Singh on Saturday said the decision to send him to Kandahar in 1999 during the Indian Airlines plane hijack crisis was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security and the then Home Minister could have “forgotten” it. “It was a decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security,” Mr. Singh told reporters here when asked about the then External Affairs Minister accompanying three terrorists to Kandahar to seek release of 156 people held hostage on the hijacked plane. When referred to Mr. Advani’s recent remarks that he was not aware about Mr. Singh going to Kandahar as the CCS had not taken any such decision, Mr. Singh said the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha “would either have forgotten or have been absent from the meeting.”

http://www.hindu.com/2008/05/12/stories/2008051260091400.htm

*Advani had differed with the decision?

http://www.hindu.com/2006/04/12/stories/2006041210461200.htm

*Intelligence and security agencies are surprised to hear that

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1494690.cms

Even if one agrees that the then government had no option but to release the terrorists , NDA's PM candidate should explain to the nation why proper actions were not taken to prevent the plane from leaving the Indian airspace. It is a known fact that the hijacked plane halted at Amritsar airport for 45 minutes before leaving India.

*Who Goofed at Amritsar?

http://www.india-today.com/itoday/20000117/nation2.html

Ram Jethmalani, the former minister in NDA gov blames the then National Security Advisor

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1507433.cms

Did Money change hands? 

This new and unheard angle was raised by Madanlal Khurana, a senior BJP leader. He left the party and rejoined it now, but no clarification was issued by him or his party over the allegation of money changing hands.

Khurana said, "Singh handed over the money as a Swiss 'currency king' was onboard the flight IC 814 and the money had come from Switzerland itself. He went to Kandahar on the directions of the Swiss foreign minister." Khurana accused BJP of "double standards" for not taking any action against Singh for the revelations made by him in a recent book of his.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1802718.cms

Dr. Abhishek Singhvi, spokesperson of INC raised few pertinent questions on Shri Advani and his claims of ‘Majbooti’ in this regard. Advani should better come clear on this.

1. Why is Shri Advani trying to put the blame regarding Kandahar on Mr.Vajpayee and on the NDA and why is he trying to distance himself from that decision?

2. Is it not true that Shri Advani in both his book and in a “Walk the Talk” interview with Shekhar Gupta of Indian Express confirmed that he was not consulted and not involved in the decision making regarding Kandahar?

3. Is it not equally true that no less than the then Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandez, in an interview to Mr. Karan Thapar on 30.03.2008 after Mr. Advani’s book release, categorically confirmed that Mr. Advani was present at the meeting which took the Kandahar decision?

4. Is the sign of strong leader—a Majboot Neta—one who leads from the front or one who tries to dishonestly shift the blame onto his own party and his own leaders to try to avoid tainting himself?