Kandahar hijack: Advani says aired ''personal view'' within govt

Pune, Apr 11: Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today said the decision to free three terrorists, including JeM chief Masood Azhar, in exchange for hijacked IC-184 passengers in 1999 was the NDA regime's decision but he had expressed his ''personal views'' within the government.

When asked for his opinion on the release of terrorists during the Kandahar hijacking case, Mr Advani, who is on the sixth day of his Bharat Suraksha Yatra in Maharashtra, said he had aired his personal views on the issue within the government. ''Even the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh who took the three terrorists to Kandahar was just implementing the government's decision...however, it is an old issue,'' he added.

The three terrorists were released from prison and taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan by Mr Singh in exchange for the release of passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft in December 1999.

UNI