You were probably playing video games when terrorists hijacked plane in 1999: BJP to Rahul

Congress president Rahul Gandhi was probably playing video games when terrorists hijacked the plane of Indian Airlines in 1999 and the whole of the nation was praying for the safe return of all passengers, said the BJP on Sunday.

"You were probably busy playing video games when the whole nation was praying for safe return of hijacked passengers. Do you know that all decisions regarding the hijacking were taken at all-party meeting? Remember Latif, the handler of Pathankot, was released by the UPA as goodwill gesture," the BJP tweeted.

BJP's attack comes in response to Rahul's tweet asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to tell the families of Pulwama brave hearts who released Masood Azhar. "PM Modi, please, tell the families of our 40 CRPF Shaheeds, who released their murderer, Masood Azhar? Also tell them that your current NSA was the deal maker, who went to Kandahar to hand the murderer back to Pakistan."

It is worth mentioning that Masood, chief of dreaded Pakistan-based terror outfit-Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), was a close associate of Osama bin Laden. He was released from Indian prison on December 19, 1999, for the safe return of passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft IC-814.

In 2010 under UPA rule, Shahid Latif, who allegedly provided logistical support to four Pakistanis who attacked Pathankot base, was released from an Indian prison. In Pathankot terror attack, seven military personnel were killed in a siege that lasted for around 72 hours.

The four terrorists were shot dead and buried in Punjab as Pakistan refused to accept their bodies.

Latif, a senior leader of JeM, was arrested from Jammu in a case related to terrorism and narcotics in 1996. Congress-led government released Latif to improve relations with Pakistan, along with nearly 20 others through Wagah border in Punjab.

The terror attack in Pulwama on February 14 was the deadliest assault in the recent past in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. India retaliated by targeting JeM's largest training centre at Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.