Dawood wasn't brought back due to NCP chief, says Prakash Ambedkar

Mumbai: Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader Prakash Ambedkar Tuesday alleged that Dawood Ibrahim, who wanted to surrender, had not been brought to India because of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Mr Ambedkar said that senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani had informed the then state chief minister, Mr Pawar, about Dawood’s willingness to surrender. However, Mr Pawar did not inform the then Prime Minister about it, he said.

The NCP hit back at Mr Ambedkar saying that Dawood was ready to surrender on the condition that he would not be sent to jail, which was not acceptable to the NCP chief.

The BBM also asked why the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government did not follow up on this issue. NCP spoke-sperson Nawab Malik said that the issue of Dawood Ibrahim had been brought for discussion in order to favour the BJP. The NCP also asked why he was raising this question after 25 years.

Addressing a press conference at Ambedkar Bhavan in Dadar, Mr Ambedkar said that those who were now pleading that Dawood Ibrahim, the mastermind of the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts and riots be handed over, had lost an earlier opportunity to bring him back to India. The BBM leader asked why Mr Pawar had rejected Ibrahim’s proposal and let him off? The Dalit leader demanded that Mr Pawar clarification on why Dawood Ibrahim was not asked to surrender when he was willing.

Mr Malik said that Dawood, who was absconding, could not surrender on his own conditions. The government had not given any approval to the same. “The government did not accept the conditions, which were stated by Mr Jethmalani. The NCP chief had already made it clear several times,” he added.