The Congress Party on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of 'pseudo-nationalism' after former Research and Analysis wing (RAW) A.S. Dulat's claims on the 1999 Kandahar hijack incident.
"Based on the interview of A.S. Dulat.... such a disturbing fact has come in open. One was that the BJP Government was in active communication with Sayeed Salahudeen, head of Hizbul Mujahideen chief based in Pakistan, and the BJP government in 1999 got his son admitted to a medical college. This clearly shows the pseudo-nationalism of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Whenever they have been in power they have always compromised the interest of the country by discussing with terrorists and wanted people," Congress leader Ajoy Kumar said at a press briefing.
"People like Sayeed Salahudeen, who are responsible for killing thousands of innocent people, people like him, who sit in Pakistan and spread hatred in this country. This clearly shows that the mask of nationalism that the Bharatiya Janata Party is wearing is totally false. The son of terrorist and Hizbul Mujahideen chief Sayeed Salahudeen was granted admission in MBBS under the aegis of the Vajpayee government. On one hand, our brave security forces were being martyred by a dangerous terrorist like Salahudeen, and on the other hand, the NDA government admitted his son in an MBBS programme. We ask the BJP to reveal all relevant information as to why Salahudeen's son was given admission and why such a compromise was made with such a noted terrorist...," he added.
The Congress leader also sought a reply from the BJP as who was responsible for the plane leaving Amritsar during the incident.
"Why was it allowed to go and who will face and wipe the tears of thousand of mothers and sisters and fathers of Kashmir and this country that have lost their children and their family members because of the release of the three wanted terrorists?" he said.
The former RAW chief told a leading English newspaper in an interview earlier that the Crisis Management Group (CMG) had 'goofed up' the operation. He stated that the hijackers gained an upper hand once the plane flew out of India.
In 1999, IC-814, which was on route from Kathmandu to New Delhi, was hijacked by terrorist group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan.
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