BJP responsible for deaths of Indians by terrorists: Sibal

Bangalore, May 20 : Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal today said that the BJP has to take the blame for the number of Indians killed by terrorists.

He said the deaths of hundreds of Indians at the hands of terrorists were "soiled with the blood of the BJP".

Reacting strongly to BJP's repeated charge that the Congress was going soft on terrorists, Sibal raked up the December 1999 Kandahar hijack episode, in which the then National Democratic Alliance Government released three terrorists in exchange for the saving over a 100 hijacked air passengers.

"Maulana Azhar after his release set up the Jaish-e-Mohammed, which killed hundreds of people on this side of the border," Sibal said.

"The Congress party can legitimately say that responsibility for deaths of hundreds of Indians, soldiers and civilians are soiled with the blood of BJP", he said, adding, had those terrorists not released, these (terror acts) would not have happened.

"You (BJP) released terrorists to the market", Sibal said and accused the BJP of not "walking the talk" while "talking tough on terrorism".

Charging the BJP with "double-speak', he asked: "Where is the White Paper on terrorism that they (BJP) promised to release?"

ANI