BHOPAL: The decision to take Masood Azhar to Kandahar for release was not taken by Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in isolation, but it was a result of collective decision of entire country, said Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman while talking to media, here on Thursday. “The decision to release Azhar was taken at an all-party meeting convened for finding the way to rescue the passengers on the hijacked plane,” said the minister a day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi challenged PM Modi on BJP’s poll plank of nationalism, questioning whose government released Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar in 1999.
She was in city to support Bhopal Lok Sabha candidate Pragya Thakur. The Minister also backed PM Modi’s statements on Rajiv Gandhi having used aircraft carrier INS-Viraat as personal taxi. “We respect Rajiv Gandhi’s martyrdom, but it does not mean “we won’t talk about misrule, corruption and policies” of his government, said the minister responding to media queries about PM Modi disrespecting late former PM Rajiv Gandhi over corruption. “Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister of this nation. We’ll know the unfortunate circumstances under which he became a martyr and we respect him for it. That doesn’t mean that we cannot talk about corruption, misrule during his regime and about Bhopal Gas tragedy of 1984, when his (Rajiv Gandhi) government facilitated prime accused Warren Anderson to fly out of this country. Is there any restriction in talking about that. Don’t mix up issues, where we need to give respect, we know to give it. But we’ll question and demand answers from Congress on it.”
“On the INS Viraat issue, information regarding it has already been in public domain since long time. In a 2013 news report too, a detailed explanation has been given. We’ll know the entire case’s details. What the new government will do about it, I can’t comment on. Such blatant misuse of Army, Navy and Air Force, the Congress party which is shedding crocodile tears that PM Modi is politicizing the Army, should answer this allegation first,” she said. Reiterating an earlier point that Rahul Gandhi was riding a tiger by making accusations against the PM and government in the Rafale case, Sitharaman said “Rahul Gandhi doesn’t know how to back out of the (Rafale) campaign without loss of face. He also doesn’t listen to anybody. The country knows that allegations of corruption will not stick on PM Modi. Rahul Gandhi does not know how to get off the tiger he is riding,” she said.
On disrespecting Ex-PM: …We respect Rajiv Gandhi’s martyrdom, but it does not mean “we won’t talk about misrule, corruption and policies” of his government and about Bhopal Gas tragedy of 1984.
On INS Viraat issue: Such blatant misuse of Army, Navy and Air Force, the Congress party which is shedding crocodile tears that PM Modi is politicizing the Army, should answer this allegation first.
On Rafale case: … The country knows that allegations of corruption will not stick on PM Modi. Rahul Gandhi does not
know how to get off the tiger he is riding.