New Delhi: Government today sought to take the sting out of the opposition attack on the whereabouts of fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, with Home Minister Rajnath Singh telling Lok Sabha that the NDA government's reply was the same as the UPA regime gave two years ago.
Singh said he would make a detailed statment on the issue in the House on Monday. The Home Minister had said yesterday that there was “no confusion” about Dawood's whereabouts.
“The reply given on the issue on May 5, 2015 is the same that was given on May 7, 2013. That time, we had not criticised .... They have not been able to understand the meaning. I will make a detailed statement on the issue in the House on Monday”, Singh said responding to Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia in the Zero Hour.
Scindia, who had given notice for an adjournment motion on the issue, accused the Modi dispensation of doing a sudden “U-turn” in the matter in spite of the fact that Dawood continued to be the most wanted fugitive after the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
The Congress Chief Whip said Pakistan was cocking a snook at India in the wake of the U-turn by the NDA Government. He recalled that during the election campaign, Modi used to say that India will pursue Dawood inside Pakistan like the US targetted Osama Bin Laden there.
He said the latest statement on Dawood showed that the government has no control over its ministers as ministers like Sadhavi Niranjan Jyoti, V K Singh and Giriraj Singh continue to make controversial remarks.
The government was left embarrassed on Tuesday when Union Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said in a written reply that the location of Dawood Ibrahim, India's most wanted terrorist, was not known to the government and, once he is located, his extradition process will be initiated.
The issue had also rocked Parliament two days ago with Congress launching a tirade against the NDA government for the statement which was at variance with the country's consistent stand that Dawood was in Pakistan.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had clarified two days back that the underworld don lives in Pakistan and the Centre would continue to pursue the case very seriously.
