Chidamabaram questions Advani's role during Kandahar hijacking

Questioning L K Advani's role as Home Minister during Kandahar hijacking, Home Minister P Chidambaram today said he would not have allowed release of terrorists as done by the National Democratic Alliance regime.

"If I was the Home Minister I would not accept...I will not say after four years I do not know whether the External Affairs Minister accompanied the terrorists," Chidambaram said at a press conference in Mumbai, when asked about the Kandahar episode.

Advani had claimed that he was not aware of the decision that then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh would accompany the three terrorists released in exchange for passengers of hijacked Indian Airlines plane to Kandahar in1999.

"I would have told the Prime Minister not to allow the External Affairs Minister to accompany the terrorists", Chidambaram told media-persons tearing into the arguments of the saffron party that United Progressive Alliance failed to contain terrorism. The Bharatiya Janata Party has come under flak from the Congress for having freed three terrorists, including militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar, during the Kandahar hijacking.

Chidambaram's statement was significant as it came close on the heels of the BJP's attempt to quote his earlier statement made sometime back where he said it was a "difficult decision" for the government.