Dawood's surrender proposal: BJP seeks reply from former Maharashtra CM Sharad Pawar

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said the reported government inaction on don Dawood Ibrahim's proposal to surrender to India in 1993 poses 'a very serious question' and added that Sharad Pawar, the then chief minister of Maharashtra, must respond on this issue.

"This is a very serious matter. I think Ram Jethmalani was referring to something that happened 15 to 20 years ago. And if this offer was made a little after the terrorist attacks in Bombay (Mumbai) -- behind which we all know that Dawood Ibrahim and his groups based in Pakistan were involved -- then of course this becomes a very serious question. But this question can only be answered by Sharad Pawar and Ram Jethmalani," BJP leader MJ Akbar said.

Read: Give Dawood Ibrahim, India tells Pakistan

"When he said this, I sent this in writing to Sharad Pawar, I told my son to inform about this offer to the local authorities," he added.

Read: Dawood Ibrahim wanted to surrender, claims former Delhi Police chief Neeraj Kumar

Jethmalani further hinted that the former Congress-led UPA regime may have also decided not to pursue the matter.

"Whether it was Sharad Pawar or the Congress, we do not know. This decision could not have been taken by Sharad Pawar alone, the Centre must have had a say in this," he said.

Read: Frightened of Narendra Modi, Dawood Ibrahim shifts base

The 1993 bombings were a series of bomb explosions that took place in Mumbai. The single-day attacks resulted in over 350 fatalities and 1200 injuries.