'Masood Azhar-ji', 'Osama-ji', 'Shri Hafiz Saeed': Here's a history of Congress leaders' honorifics for terrorists

In a rally, while delivering a speech in Delhi on Monday, Rahul Gandhi attacked Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government over the release of Masood Azhar in exchange for the 178 passengers and 11 crew members of hijacked plane IC-814 in 1999, while doing so he referred to the terrorist as 'Masood Azhar ji'

This time it was "Masood Azhar ji", the founder of UN-designated terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and the perpetrator of Pulwama attack.

WATCH THIS: Rahul Gandhi Says "Masood Azhar Ji" In Poll Rally, Smriti Irani And BJP Launch 'Rahul Loves Terrorists' Attack

However, there has been a shameful history of Congress leaders who have referred to global terrorists with respect:  

Osama-ji

Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh, before calling the Pulwama terror attack as an 'accident', back in July referred to slain Al Qaeda chief and at one time the world's most wanted man as "Osama-ji"

Shri Hafiz Saeed

While the former Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde standing in the Parliament called Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attacks as 'Mr' and 'Shri'

While speaking of 26/11 that killed over 160 people, he said, "We had been given to understand by the interior minister of Pakistan that Mr Hafiz Saeed had been arrested on the charges of being a part of the conspiracy for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. From the papers given to us, it is clear that the detentions of Shri Hafiz Saeed in the aforesaid cases were for other reasons and not for his role as a conspirator"

Backed- Yakub Memon

Shashi Tharoor was another Congress leader to stoke controversy, over the hanging of Yakub Memon, who was involved in the 1993 Mumbai (then Bombay) bombings, by calling it 'state-sponsored killing', while making a case arguing death penalties that according to him, makes us "murderers".

Afzal Guru-ji

Although withdrawn, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala back in 2016 called Afzal Guru, the convict of 2001 Indian Parliament attack as 'Afzal Guru ji'

While, Rahul Gandhi is persistently accusing the NDA government of releasing Masood Azhar, under the UPA era the chief handler of the Fiyadeen squad Shahid Latif, that attacked the Pathankot airbase, was released by India in 2010 under Manmohan Singh's leadership as a 'gesture of peace'

Under the UPA-era, the Jammu and Kashmir government released 25 Pakistani terrorists lodged in n various prisons of the country on the advice of the Union Home Ministry.

WATCH: "Jo Dil Mai Hai Vo Zubban Pe Nikal Gaya", Union Minister Smriti Irani's Dig At Rahul Gandhi On "Masood Azhar Ji" Comment