Headlines
Congress asks PM, BJP for apology over IC-814 hijacking
New Delhi, July 3
Targeting the then NDA
government over former RAW chief A.S. Dulat's revelations, the Congress
on Friday demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the
BJP over the release of terrorists during the IC-814 hijacking in 1999.
"If
the BJP still does not accept that the NDA government was blissfully
soft on terror, then the people of India will never judge them kindly.
The BJP has an ingrained habit of brazening out their own misdeeds,
which they are again repeating in this (Narendra) Modi sarkar," Congress
spokesperson Tom Vadakkan told the media here.
"The Congress
demands that the prime minister and the BJP apologise unconditionally to
the nation for having aided, abetted and favoured anti-India elements,
terrorists and criminals. They should apologise for having ensured that
terrorists were released and flown to safe havens in Pakistan so that
they continue to bleed India," he said.
Former Research and
Analysis Wing (RAW) chief A.S. Dulat on Thursday said no clear
instructions were given to police on December 24, 1999, when the
hijacked Indian Airlines plane landed in Amritsar, because of which the
hijackers took the plane to Kandahar in Afghanistan.
"Dulat's
revelations are a severe indictment of the then BJP government (led by
Atal Bihari Vajpayee) and establishes that self-styled nationalism of
the BJP is guided by extension of help to terrorists and criminals on
humanitarian grounds," the Congress spokesperson said.
He added:
"All these instances vindicate the stand of the Indian National
Congress. All these instances have been in the public domain but the BJP
refuse to acknowledge them. They now stand thoroughly exposed by an
inside account."
Another Congress spokesperson, Ajoy Kumar told the media that Dulat's comments revealed "disturbing facts".
"They
(the BJP) have compromised the interests of the country whenever they
have been in power. Who was behind these decisions," he asked.
Dulat's book 'Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years' is slated for release shortly.
The opposition party also raked up the post-Godhra riots issue.
"Dulat
says that former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee believed that he
lost the 2004 general elections in view of the Gujarat riots...Bharat
Ratna Vajpayee has clearly condemned...the shameful incidents of 2002,"
Ajoy Kumar said.
He said it was Vajpayee who reminded Chief Minster Modi to "follow raj dharma".
"Will
Narendra Modi respect the words of the Bharat Ratna awardee and
apologise to the country for 2002 (Gujarat riots)," the Congress leader
asked.