— Photo: V. V. Krishnan

CONTROVERSY: The former MPs, M.L. Khurana (left) and R. K. Anand at a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: The controversy generated by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jaswant Singh's soon-to-be-released book refuses to die down. Two former MPs — R.K. Anand of the Congress and Madan Lal Khurana, expelled BJP leader — on Wednesday demanded an inquiry into certain claims he made on the Kandahar hijack episode.

Addressing a press conference here, both Mr. Anand and Mr. Khurana sought to piece together their knowledge of the hijack of the Indian Airlines flight (IC-814) from Kathmandu to the Afghanistan city in December 1999.

They sought to puncture claims purported to have been made by the then External Affairs Minister in the National Democratic Alliance Government, who had escorted three terrorists freed in exchange for the safe release of the passengers on December 31, 1999.

Mr. Anand and Mr. Khurana alleged that the Government had paid ``huge money'' to end the hijack drama. ``All this was done to secure the release of Swiss national and `currency king' Robert Giori, his companion Christina Calabresi and an American Jeanne Moore, who were among the hijacked passengers. There was considerable pressure from both the Swiss and American Governments for the safe release of their citizens.''

Advani blamed

The former MPs blamed the then Home Minister L.K. Advani for failing to discharge his duties and Mr. Singh for escorting the dreaded terrorists, who were later instrumental in organising a series of terror attacks in the country.

Mr. Singh, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, should come out with full facts. ``He must answer all queries, he owes it to the nation,'' Mr. Anand said.

Why was the hijacked aircraft allowed to take off from Amritsar? Why did the Government take no action for two hours while the plane was still in Amritsar? What was the role of the Crisis Management Group and the ground committee? How much money did Mr. Singh pay the hijackers? Did not the National Security Advisor fail in his duty?

"A bitter pill"

Hours later, BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad denied all the allegations as ``totally baseless and mischievous.'' He pointed out that whatever was done then ``was only to secure the safe release of the passengers."

It was a bitter pill the NDA Government had to swallow, he said while insisting that no money was paid to the Taliban for the release of the passengers.

Mr. Prasad asked why Mr. Anand had been silent for seven years since the hijacking. On December 9, 2004 ``similar allegations were made by Mr. Anand in the Rajya Sabha. He withdrew the allegations and apologised to Mr. Singh as well as Chairman, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat."

Mr. Prasad wanted to know whether the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had not paid Rs. 50 crore to sandalwood smuggler Veerappan to secure the release of the kidnapped Kannada film star Raj Kumar.

As for Mr. Khurana, Mr. Prasad said that till recently he wanted to come back to the BJP on condition that the party give him the ``love it had bestowed on him pre-1998.'' That was later spelt out as promise of a Rajya Sabha seat, vice-presidentship of the party and the post of in-charge (`prabhari') of Delhi affairs.

The BJP, Mr. Prasad said, totally rejected that demand and now he was ``blackmailing'' the party and its leaders.

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