Hitting out at BJP, BSP supremo Mayawati alleged that the ruling party was trying to use Pak-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, who was blacklisted by the United Nations on Wednesday, to garner votes.
“Earlier, the BJP government made Masood Azhar a guest and later freed him abroad. Now at the time of elections, they are trying to gather votes on his name. It is condemnable,” Mayawati told news agency ANI.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati: Earlier BJP Government made #MasoodAzhar a guest and later freed him abroad, now at the time of elections they are trying to gather votes on his name, it is condemnable. pic.twitter.com/McqWV5V2TB
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2019
The former UP chief minister was referring to the release of Azhar in exchange of hostages of hijacked Indian Airlines plane IC-814. The Indian Airlines plane was hijacked during its flight from Kathmandu to Delhi in December 1999 and was taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan.
Azhar, the head of Pakistan-based JeM, had claimed responsibility for the February 14 Pulwama terror attack in south Kashmir, in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.
ALSO READ: UN designates Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as global terrorist
The UN action came a day after China called for political consultation within the framework of 1267 committee to ‘properly resolve’ the issue pertaining to the listing of Azhar as a global terrorist by the UN.
In the past, China had stalled India’s proposal to enlist Azhar as a ‘global terrorist’ at least four times in the last 10 years, the latest being in March this year.
A global terrorist tag under the UN’s 1267 committee will lead to a freeze on Azhar’s assets and a ban on his travel and constraints on possessing weapons.
(With ANI inputs)