Cong publishes Jaish chief’s ad to target BJP

Agencies Posted: Dec 14, 2007 at 0000 hrs
Ahmedabad, December 14: With just a day remaining for the second phase of Gujarat polls, Congress on Friday attacked the ruling BJP by issuing an advertisement carrying the photograph of Masood Azhar -- who was released by the NDA government in Kandahar a few years ago.

"Remember that black day, when a BJP-led NDA government's minister went to release terrorist Masood Azhar to Kandahar instead of hanging him," the advertisement said.

It also referred to BJP leader L K Advani's visit to Pakistan "to bow down at the grave of Mohammad Ali Jinnah" along with the praise he showered on Jinnah in Gujarat government's official publication.

The advertisement asked people to recollect the attack on Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar which is located near the house of Gujarat Chief Minister.

It also accused that the irresponsible attitude of BJP government at the centre allowed Pakistanis to enter Kargil and also stage attacks on Parliament and Lal Quilla (Red Fort).

This move by Congress is seen as a "tit for tat" for the BJP which published an advertisement on Thursday, on the sixth anniversary of attack on Parliament (Dec 13), accusing the Opposition Congress for not hanging its conspirator Afzal Guru (accused in the attack case) in consideration of votes.

The ads issued by BJP in Hindi said all the terrorists involved in the Parliament attack were killed and its conspirators booked under POTA.

The accused were sentenced within three years and the death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court. However, for consideration of votes, the conspirators were still alive, it said adding, "for how long will compromises be made on terrorism".

Terrorism has become one of the main poll issues in Gujarat with both the parties accusing each other for having failed to contain terrorism.

The BJP raised the issue by charging the UPA government of being soft on terror and the Congress responded by raking up the terrorist attacks that happened during the NDA regime.