Taking a swipe at the Centre following release of a tape claiming Dawood Ibrahim’s presence in Karachi, the Shiv Sena on Monday dared the government to undertake an operation to capture the evasive underworld don just as United States forces eliminated terror leader Osama Bin Laden.
The Sena, a constitent of ruling National Democratic Alliance, questioned the point of following Dawood’s movements without initiating action against him.
“Dreaded terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Dawood Ibrahim are living in Pakistan comfortably and are under political care. We do not need proof to prove that fact. No other country except Pakistan can give abode to such people,” the Sena said in its editorial mouthpiece Saamana.
“From the last many years, we have been requesting the Pakistan government to hand us over these fugitive gangsters, but they refuse to even acknowledge the presence of their their territory. But can the Indian government show the same audacity towards Dawood Ibrahim, the way US did with (Osama Bin) Laden?” the Sena asked.
The government had on Saturday asked Pakistan to hand over Dawood Ibrahim, saying the Indian government has given enough evidence against him to Islamabad.
The Sena said the ‘watching game’ between India and terrorists hiding in Pakistan will continue unabated and will yield no results.
“Our government says it is keeping a watch on their activities? What purpose will it serve? These terrorists have kept their eye on India as well. This watching game has been happening for many years and will continue in future,” it said.
In Lucknow, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had said India has repeatedly asked Pakistan to hand over Dawood to it. “Wait and watch,” Singh had said without elaborating, when asked about when India can get hold of him.
Dawood, India’s most wanted terrorist after Saeed, is the mastermind of the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai that claimed over 250 lives.
