Uma targets Advani on Kandahar comment

Bhopal, Apr 19 (UNI) Firing a broadside at senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani, expelled party leader Uma Bharti today said he was raising meaningless issues that did not suit his political prestige.

''If the then union home minister Advani was not satisfied with the cabinet decision (on the Kandahar hijacking), he should have forthwith resigned in national interest. What is he trying to prove by raising this type of issue now?'' she told mediapersons at her residence here.

Ms Bharti narrated that, when she assumed office as central minister in 2001, a ''bus treaty'' was proposed with Bangladesh.

''However, some Border Security Force personnel were killed by their Bangladesh Rifles counterparts. At that juncture the bus treaty came up for discussion in the cabinet. All members were favouring it but I opposed it while associating the matter with national pride.

The prime minister concurred,'' she claimed.

Mr Advani, who is on a 'Bharat Suraksha Yatra', said in Pune that he differed with the decision taken by the National Democratic Alliance regime to release three terrorists, including Jaish-i-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, in exchange for the IC-814 passengers.

UNI PKJ-AC PK KN2115