New Delhi - The government of India made contradicting statements on Tuesday on the whereabouts of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, reported Indian media.
In Parliament on Tuesday morning, the Indian home ministry said that it was not aware of the location of Dawood Ibrahim. Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary, while replying to a written question said, "The subject has not been located so far. Extradition process with regard to Dawood Ibrahim would be initiated once the subject is located."
Six hours later, the government seemed to have made a U-turn with another minister Kiren Rijiju saying, "Dawood is in Pakistan. Government's stand is consistent that he's in Pakistan. Government of India has been providing information to Pakistan about his whereabouts and Pakistani agencies are not cooperating with Indian government. That is well known to everyone," he told reporters outside Lok Sabha.
The minister said he could not say about the clarification to be given by the government in Parliament but requested everyone not to misconstrue a statement which is based on specific questions. Though successive Indian governments have asserted over the past two decades that the most wanted terrorist is in Pakistan, Indian minister Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary on Tuesday told Lok Sabha that extradition proceedings could be initiated only when Ibrahim is located.
"The UN Security Council has also issued a special notice against him. The subject has not been located so far. Extradition process with regard to Dawood Ibrahim would be initiated once the subject is located," Chaudhary had said in a written reply.
Meanwhile, expressing "surprise and shock" at the BJP government's stand that it was not aware of the location of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Congress said Pakistan's ISI would have given a similar reply had it been asked the same question.