New Delhi : Expressing “surprise and shock” at the Centre’s stand that it was not aware of the location of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Congress on Tuesday said Pakistan’s ISI would have given a similar reply had it been asked the same question.
“This statement that the government does not know where Dawood Ibrahim is seems to replicate Pakistan’s official position on him… It is almost as if the Indian Government’s reply is the same that the ISI themselves would have given had they been asked the same question. ISI must be thankful about it,” Congress spokesman Gaurav Gogoi told reporters.
He said Congress is “surprised and shocked” over the stand taken by the BJP government in Parliament on Tuesday.
“The subject has not been located so far. Extradition process with regard to Dawood Ibrahim would be initiated once the subject is located,” Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary said while replying to a written question of BJP MP Nityanand Rai.
Insisting that the statement is shocking on two accounts, Gogoi said, “It is shocking because during the election campaign (Narendra) Modi had made a strong and vociferous pitch saying that once he becomes the Prime Minister, Dawood would be brought back to India.”
