After being slammed by the Opposition for claiming ignorance about the whereabouts of Dawood Ibrahim, the Narendra Modi government on Monday resorted to damage control measures with Home Minister Rajnath Singh returning to New Delhi’s long-held position that the fugitive underworld don was still in Pakistan.
“India has credible information about Dawood Ibrahim’s continued presence in Pakistan,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh told the Lok Sabha on Monday. He said the government would not rest till the fugitive was brought from Pakistan to India to stand trial.
His statement comes less than a week after Minister of State for Home Affairs Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary informed the Lower House that the government was not aware of Dawood’s whereabouts.
Chaudhary’s statement was contrary to New Delhi’s long-held position that Dawood is being sheltered by Pakistan. Islamabad was quick to grab the opportunity and stated that its own claim that he was not in Pakistan had been vindicated by India, which had been accusing the neighbouring country of providing shelter to the don.
The Congress and other opposition parties slammed the Centre reminding the Prime Minister that he had promised during his election campaign that his government would bring Dawood to justice in India.
“Dawood is wanted in serial bomb blast cases of 1993 in Mumbai and a (INTERPOL) Red Corner Notice No AO135/4-1993 is in existence against him. The United Nations Security Council has also issued a special notice No.U-65/4-2006 against him,” Singh said.
He said New Delhi had provided Islamabad with details of Dawood from time to time with a request to locate and hand him over to India, as it was the Indian government that had got the Interpol Red Corner Notice issued against him.
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