UPA will not negotiate with terrorists: Congress

Bangalore, May 5: The Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre will not negotiate with terrorists unlike the previous BJP-led NDA Government, AICC General Secretary and Union Minister Prithviraj Chavan said today.

Taking strong exception to the allegations by BJP leaders with regard to the case of Afzal Guru, who was convicted in Parliament attack case, he said ''The UPA Government is not for negotiation with terrorists and hijackers as was done by the NDA Government in 1999 when three hardcore terrorists were released in exchange for 161 hijacked passengers of an (IC-814) aircraft.'' ''The NDA Government's act had put the country to shame in the international arena,'' he added.

On December 24, 1999, hijackers Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Sayeed, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim and Shakir had hijacked a flight bound for Delhi from Kathmandu and hardcore terrorists Moulana Masood Azhar, Mushtaq A Zorgar and Ahmed Omarsaeed Shaikh were released on December 31 after a week-long drama.

UNI