<p> Mishra, who, along with Jaswant Singh, remained a firm Vajpayee loyalist, challenged Advani's claims during the election campaign that he did not agree to the swapping. <br /><br />He said the former home minister was very much part of the unanimous decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to free militants and ensure safe return of the hostages. <br />Stopping shot of calling Advani’s claims as lies, Mishra has added more weight to Singh’s statement that freeing three terrorists could not have happened without the Home Minister signing the relevant papers.<br /><br />CCS decision <br /><br />“The decisions were taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security , which had (then) Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Home Minister L K Advani, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Defence Minister George Fernandes and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh as its members,” Mishra told television channels. Just days ago, Jaswant Singh said he had “covered” up for Advani during the 2009 Lok Sabha campaign by concealing his party’s Prime Ministerial candidate complied with the decisions taken at the height of the 1999 hijacking episode.<br /><br />Mishra sidestepped suggestions of terming Advani’s claims as lies.<br />“I am not going to get into anything that then home minister Advani said.<br /><br />“I will only draw your attention to the fact that key members of the CCS — George Fernandes, Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha — have very clearly said he (Advani) was there.” <br /><br />Instructions given<br /><br />On the issue of letting the hijacked plane take off from Amritsar, he said instructions were given to deflate the plane’s tyres during its refuelling.<br /><br />However, the delay in refuelling caused panic among hijackers who flew off the Indian sky, Mishra said. <br /><br />He said former Prime Minister Vajpayee has been deeply distressed by disagreements in the party and added he is unlikely to advice Advani on party matters, since he would mistake them. <br /><br /></p>
<p> Mishra, who, along with Jaswant Singh, remained a firm Vajpayee loyalist, challenged Advani's claims during the election campaign that he did not agree to the swapping. <br /><br />He said the former home minister was very much part of the unanimous decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) to free militants and ensure safe return of the hostages. <br />Stopping shot of calling Advani’s claims as lies, Mishra has added more weight to Singh’s statement that freeing three terrorists could not have happened without the Home Minister signing the relevant papers.<br /><br />CCS decision <br /><br />“The decisions were taken by the Cabinet Committee on Security , which had (then) Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Home Minister L K Advani, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha, Defence Minister George Fernandes and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh as its members,” Mishra told television channels. Just days ago, Jaswant Singh said he had “covered” up for Advani during the 2009 Lok Sabha campaign by concealing his party’s Prime Ministerial candidate complied with the decisions taken at the height of the 1999 hijacking episode.<br /><br />Mishra sidestepped suggestions of terming Advani’s claims as lies.<br />“I am not going to get into anything that then home minister Advani said.<br /><br />“I will only draw your attention to the fact that key members of the CCS — George Fernandes, Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha — have very clearly said he (Advani) was there.” <br /><br />Instructions given<br /><br />On the issue of letting the hijacked plane take off from Amritsar, he said instructions were given to deflate the plane’s tyres during its refuelling.<br /><br />However, the delay in refuelling caused panic among hijackers who flew off the Indian sky, Mishra said. <br /><br />He said former Prime Minister Vajpayee has been deeply distressed by disagreements in the party and added he is unlikely to advice Advani on party matters, since he would mistake them. <br /><br /></p>
