Mamata Banerjee offered to be exchanged for Air India’s IC 814 hostages: Yashwant Sinha

Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha who joined the Trinamool Congress today shared the anecdote of how West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wanted to offer herself as a hostage in exchange for passengers of Air India's IC 814 taken as hostages by the militants.

Yashwant Sinha recalled during Kandahar hijack of Air India plane, when TMC was the coalition partner of the Vajpayee government, Banerjee had volunteered at the cabinet meeting to go and meet the hijackers to secure release of hostages "as she is not afraid of her life."

Watch: ‘Mamata offered to go to Kandahar as hostage’: Yashwant Sinha shares anecdote

India had to release three terrorists, including JeM's dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar to ensure the hostages' release.

Yashwant Sinha was the union finance minister at the time under the leadership of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Meanwhile, the veteran leader said that he had about 45 minute conversation with Mamata Banerjee before joining the TMC.

"The tipping point was the attack on Mamata ji in Nandigram. It was the moment of decision to join TMC and support Mamata ji," said Yashwant Sinha.

"This government can do anything to win the election. The attack on Mamata Ji made me decide that I want to work with her," he said about the March 10 incident.

Sinha further lashed out at the BJP-led central government and said the latter believes in "crushing and conquering" ideas.

"BJP during Atal Ji's time believed in consensus but today's government believes in crushing and conquering ideas. Akalis, BJD have left the BJP. Today, who is standing with BJP?" asked Sinha.

Yashwant Sinha was two-time finance ministers once in the Chandra Sekhar cabinet in 1990 and then again in the Vajpayee cabinet.

He also held the portfolio of the External Affairs ministry in the Vajpayee cabinet.

He served as the Principal Secretary to then Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur in 1977.

Influenced by Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan, Sinha, had resigned from the IAS in 1984 and plunged into politics.