MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and federal minister for Agriculture Sharad Pawar lost no time in taking potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and their senior leaders.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Pawar said that the BJP claimed that 'it's a party with a difference. Now they have proved that they are different,' by their exposure of the Kandahar and Jinnah issue.
In his remarks laced with sarcasm, Pawar said that he was "grateful" to BJP leaders Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha, Brajesh Mishra and Janata Dal leader George Fernandes for exposing the "truth" behind the Kandahar episode involving the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 on Katmandu-Delhi route.
Pawar, one of the senior most minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government said "It cannot happen that the then Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani was not aware of the release of terrorists in exchange of the hostages," Pawar told a news conference here, pointing out that the decision was taken by Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in which Advani was present.
The CSS, Pawar said, at that point in time was composed of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Home Minister Advani (later Deputy Prime Minister), former Defense Minister George Fernandes, former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, former Finance Minister Yeshwant Sinha and then National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra.
"All were present at the meeting in which the decision was taken. Now four of them - Singh, Sinha, Mishra and Fernandes - have spoken the truth. It can't be false. Moreover, without the consent of then Home Minister Advani, the arrested prisoners, including Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) founder Maulana Masood Azhar could not have been released," he said.
Responding to a barrage of questions over the delay in the issue of forging alliance with the Congress for the forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls, Pawar put the ball in the court of the Congress.
Appearing disturbed and confused over the delay by the Congress, Pawar said "I am told that the internal exercise of the Congress would be over in the next two to four days. After that, we will work out the future course. As of now, we don't have any official communication from the Congress," he said.
Trying to hide the humiliation from the Congress, Pawar as a face saving response said that the Congress and NCP are together in the federal government, Goa and Maharashtra - and since Congress is a "senior partner", its role is more important.
"We are together at the national and state level," he said, adding that once Congress' comes out with its decision, his party will be able to chart out its course.
Asked if Congress decides to go alone and in that case, they would go to smaller parties, he said: "The question of if and but does not arise now."
