'Allegation about NDA pay offs at Kandahar false'

New Delhi, July 19: BJP today dismissed former Congress MP R K Anand's allegations that the previous NDA regime paid money to terrorists to free the hostages on board Indian Airlines plane at Afghan city of Kandahar as 'baseless, false and mischievous'.

BJP Spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said release of three jailed terrorists including Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad Chief Masood Azhar was a 'bitter pill' swallowed by the government to save the lives of 200 innocent hijacked passengers on the plane. "When a human organ turns malignant than the patient has to undergo either chemotherapy or radiology eventhough it hurts", he said.

About the Congress demand for ordering a probe if the money was paid, Mr Prasad said that party should not forget that the Congress government in Karnataka faced similar allegations of paying 50 crore for securing the release of cine star Rajkumar in a book written by former state police chief C Dinakaran in his book. Do they want a probe into that allegation also? He asked.

He said former Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh who has made the revelations on the episode in his forthcoming book had clarified that the Cabinet had rejected unanimously that the demand for 200 million dollars and release of 36 jailed terrorists and sending the body of a terrorist killed in the encounter to Pakistan.

Mr Prasad said that Mr Anand had made a similar allegation in Rajya Sabha on December 9, 2004 against Mr Singh and withdrew it in the House after apologising to him in his (Mr Singh's) chambers.

After Mr Anand withdrew his remark, Home Minister Shivraj Patil was on record that the Member had rightly withdrawn his statement and the remark should be expunged (from records).

The BJP Spokesman said the reason for Mr Anand to raise an issue already withdrawn openly in the House after two long years was obvious. He was taking it out against the Congress leadership for denying him a renewed term in Rajya Sabha.

As regards the allegations of former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana, Mr Prasad said he too was taking out against the BJP for rejecting his demand for Rajya Sabha seat eventhough he was eager to apologise to the BJP by 'touching the feet' of Leader of Opposition L K Advani. He said senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj against whom, Mr Khuarana had made allegations will file a defamation suit in the Court.

UNI

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