Advani playing politics on plane hijack issue, alleges Uma

Varanasi, May 4 (UNI) Expelled BJP leader Uma Bharti today alleged that former party president L K Adavani's recent utterances over the hijack of Indian Airlines plane to Afghanistan, was ''merely a political gimmick.'' Interacting with newspersons here Ms Bharti said Mr Advani's, alleged statement that he was not in favour of releasing three ultras for securing the release IC-814 passengers in Kandahar (Afghanistan), was merely aimed at scoring political points his rivals.

''If he was so serious about protesting over the NDA government decision to hand over the ultras in exchange of safe release of passengers, the then deputy prime minister should have resigned from his post,'' Ms Bharti added.

Training her guns next on former army chief V P Mallick for raising questions over the Kargil war, the former union minister said Mr Mallick, instead of raising the issue through his book years after the war, should have quit his post at the time he smelt a rat in the entire matter.

''All those who raise voices of protest years after retiring from their coveted jobs were only politicising major issues,'' she added.

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