Former Home Secretary RK Singh has slammed Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde
Former home secretary RK Singh, who recently joined the BJP, has accused Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde of lying about US help to bring wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim to India.
Mr Singh, who is tipped to contest the national election from Bihar, attacked the home minister's claims that the American attorney general, under whom the FBI works, assured all help to bring Dawood to book, when Mr Shinde visited the US.
"Even if an agency belonging to another country agrees to help us in a mission on a third country's soil, this should not be made public. The FBI has made no such commitment, at least as long as I was there. Dawood is in Pakistan, under ISI's protection and to say he will be arrested with the help of FBI is ridiculous," he said on Tuesday.
Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in several cases by India, including the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
Mr Singh, who retired in June, has unholstered a series of allegations against his former boss since he joined the BJP last week.
The former home secretary has accused Mr Shinde of shielding a businessman close to Dawood Ibrahim and preventing the Delhi Police from interrogating him in connection with match-fixing in the Indian Premier League. He also alleges that the minister regularly interfered with police work and took money for cop postings.
The Congress, accusing Mr Singh of "shocking opportunism," questioned why he never went to the Cabinet Secretary or the Prime Minister with his allegations.
"Is it not a fact that he tried to get a post-retirement position from the UPA? Is it not a fact that he approached (Bihar Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar for a position?" tweeted Congress leader Digvijaya Singh.
Backing its newest recruit, the BJP said Mr Shinde was known for irresponsible statements.
"We want a thorough probe. If Mr Shinde is found to have intervened in the match-fixing probe, he needs to be sacked immediately," said the party's Ravi Shankar Prasad.