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I don’t think I have to answer. It is he alone who can say precisely.

•Have you asked him?

We’ve talked about it occasionally. But I don’t want to say anything. Let him say it, whatever he wants to say.

•But looking back, would you say it was a wrong decision? It was avoidable?

I won’t say anything. I’ll only say that it would be fair for him to answer that question. Because this was not related to the decision: the decision was on whether the terrorists should be freed or not. And that was the joint decision by the cabinet committee on security.

•But going on the plane was his own decision?

I wouldn’t know that. He must have consulted Vajpayeeji. But that was not an issue at all. And this was also raised by many others much later.

•But in which country would an external affairs minister escort on a tiny plane . . . (terrorists being exchanged for hostages).

He was not escorting them, he was trying to bring back the passengers being held hostage. But I don’t think I’m answerable for that. If the cabinet committee on security had taken the decision, I would have been answerable, but it did not.

•And you were not consulted on it (his going on the plane).

I did not know about it.

•So when did you get to know that he had gone on that plane?

I came to know when he was going.

•And did it raise a question in your mind then?

No, it didn’t. After all passengers (held hostage) were to be brought back from there and they were in bad shape.

•The foreign secretary could have done that.

Thik hai. But it is not that kind of an issue as our adversaries have made it out to be.

•But why has he not answered it yet. He can answer it in one second.

You have greater access to him than me.

•He hasn’t answered it. He’s written an autobiography, but says . . . when the time comes . . . there were important issues. He said, ‘I can’t disclose it, and when the time comes, I’ll disclose it.’ So it sounds like there was a very important issue.

I don’t know. I would not know.

•Was any money paid (along with the exchange of terrorists for hostages)?

Not at all. If it was, whatever the source of the funds, I would have objected. I would have been shocked. I’m absolutely sure no money was involved.

editor@expressindia.com